Why I Still Love Kingdom Hearts
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
- It's a Kingdom Hearts Retrospective, so you know I've already gone crazy.
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Kingdom Hearts. PS2. PS4. KingK. Review. Critique. Retrospective. - Hry
God, nothing brings on the nostalgia like the first Kingdom Hearts. I just turned 21 and some of my fondest memories are of getting to a hard bit as a little kid, pausing to grab my mom, and sitting in her lap enraptured as she ran around fighting bosses or solving puzzles for me. I remember us crying together when Sora sacrificed himself for Kairi. She'd grown up with Final Fantasy, and since she had me at 18 she was still big into playing when I was born. Kingdom Hearts gave her the opportunity to share what she loved with me when I was young and still have me love it too. I got my Gameboy Advance SP for Christmas with Chain of Memories tied up with the same bow. If we came across a world we didn't recognize, she'd hunt down the movie so we could watch it together. So many of my happiest memories as a kid are tied into playing this game. I used to turn on my PS2 and leave the menu screen open after nightmares so Dearly Beloved would lull me back into sleep. Once I had CoM on the Gameboy, that thing was plugged in and left open on my pillow every night for months. Starting up any game in the series hits me hard in the heart immediately because of all the emotions I have from playing as a kid. I don't even know if there's words to describe what these games mean to me. They're such a big part of my life even now, I don't know who I'd be if they'd never existed, if I never got all those moments with my mom or a song that could comfort me instantly.
Thank you, SquareEnix, for everything this game's given me. And thank you, KingK, for bringing it all back to me again.
This only has 29 likes?
This is such a heartwarming story
I can't hit the like button enough times.
I vibe with this story so much. Thank you for sharing.
yessir right on the head
I'm 27 and always pictured your voice belonging to a battle torn, ancient warrior. Tha fact that you're only 20 is mind blowing to me
I'm 23 and I never would have guessed he was younger than me.
As a 25 year old manchild I completely agree
Im 30 and his voice is deeper than mine...
Right!? I'm 31 now and when Kingdom Hearts had just came out I remember being in 8th grade. Thank you K for expressing this in a way I could not.
"battle torn, ancient warrior"
why argue about shipping
sora has two hands
Erin Curry feet*
🤔 you got a point there
Sam O'Brien this ruined my day
Yeah, one for Donald and one for Goofy XD
Wtf wtf wtf delete
One thing I love about later installments of Kingdom Hearts is that the story inevitably subverts the entire "Chosen One" narrative. Sora becomes the Keyblade wielder entirely by accident, not by design. The Keyblade was intended to go to Riku, but he succumbed to darkness first. Sora only has power over the Keyblade due to Ventus's heart being tied to his own - otherwise he's actually entirely normal. He becomes who he is simply because he's kind and has a big heart - he genuinely cares for all the other people he meets.
DJ Sakura You really think he's not the chosen one? I don't think there's any way those coincidences could have happened by chance, and Sora's the only person I know that accidentally accepted a heart other than his own. I'd say that destiny is never left to chance
The 13th Darkness the games absolutely paint them as by chance and that Sora was gifted the power to wield the Keyblade not out of predestination but literally because he is a kind hearted and loving person.
I don’t think Nomura wants him to play into the chosen one trope because it’s more important to show that someone’s actions and choices shape their world, rather than them being some destined figure.
The 13th Darkness He's a chosen one in that his heart is good, but unlike others, jt's not something he has to consciously question. In that sense, along with his ability to hold hearts, he is a chosen one. Normal people are much more akin to Riku, albeit normally less extreme. The difference is that Sora chooses for himself (or his heart does) whereas Riku had that choice made for him. It's kind of like putting the term in a blender and seeing what comes out since Sora is basically a chosen one, just not the official one.
Sora pretty much acquires his own one in that cutscene in Hollow Bastion, talking with Riku.
he lives on the same island as a princess of heart (which is also xehanort's home), he has the heart of god knows how many people inside him, and he got the ability to wield the keyblade for himself, not because someone gave him the ability like kairi and riku, but from the strength of his own heart. he kind of is the chosen one. it's called destiny islands for a reason.
"simple, clean message," huh?
Briqt Wemmde you know it
It's hard to let it go
Save it for KH3 Yuri
Kairi....Kairi's I N S I D E M E?
Very poor choice of words
@@amazingagent5782 I disagree. Very fanfictionesque.
Giggity
Oh my...
I have some unfinished business with this puppet -Riku 2002
Personally what I liked about KH1 was the realistic depiction of friendship(first Donald and Goofy are just using Sora and Sora is using Donald and Goofy too to accomplish their goals, then they work together to do something good, and then they actually start to care about each other), as well as it being my first taste of Jungian type stuff, with the Stations representing different peoples hearts and what is important to them, as well as about how there's darkness inside of everyone, and also Sora going through the different worlds and growing as a person as he learns different lessons from them.
The whole game feels like a symbolic representation of a young boy growing up, like if you could video the subconscious of a kid as he goes through different things I think KH is what it would look like, like one of his friends becoming an asshole after being seduced by an older woman by his desire for power(Riku), or having the girl he loves (without even really understanding the concept of romantic love yet) has something awful to her and she becomes distant and practically a shell of a person(Kairi), dealing with his issues and trying to understand the darkness and evil in the world(the heartless), and the combat is sort of representative of him facing these things; The basic attack is just chipping away at a problem, and magic is using a specific strategy to deal with it. And summons are asking for help from other people.
Now all we need is a spin off sequel about Sora's parents going batshit crazy while he just disappeared for 5-7 years (though as of the recent KH game I don't think he has gone back..so I think everyone will have assumed he is dead).
I thought everyone forgot about Sora after KH1? Which is like how someone's parents need to be relied on less for them to fully mature and become adults, that's why they're not in the games, because they don't really factor into Sora's soul as much anymore.
Oh okay..so Sora's family only went bat shit crazy for a few weeks before suddenly getting their memories erased..and thinking "wait why was I crying!...why is there a teenagers bedroom in my house!..we never had a son!..did we!?" (as when Sora left to go to destiny islands before getting shot up to Twilight town, his mother was telling him that dinner's ready and was already wondering where he was as she said "sora?...sora?")I mean, I know Namine can erase people's memories..but completely erasing the existence of Sora ever being there..in the physical..sounds like a stretch..I can sort of buy that everyone forgot..but it still feels like a sort of ham fisted...hand wave explanation to me...a excuse in the form of: "meh!..it's disney!"..and again..the physical aspect of it..especially with the parents..don't really buy it.
well, in KH1, destiny island falls to darkness, and so his parents, are gone with it, and as such can't really miss sora, or experience time flowing at all, so the end of KH1 its like a day hasn't passed for them when the worlds are restored. Than approximately 21 days after sora becomes a heartless in hollow bastion, COM is over, and everyone has forgotten sora, so only riku is missing for everyone, i think nomura has stated somewhere (maybe in an ultimania, i can't remember) that basically everyone on the island other than kairi, thought they got lost at sea during the storm, (or took off on their raft for their adventure to see new worlds, hence why selfie refers to wondering if they will see riku again in KH2)
Days happens, and a year passes without any memory of sora, KH2 happens, everyone remembers everything, so his parents know of his disappearance again, KH2 lasts like what, a month at most, and than both riku and sora show back up, thus finally arriving home, after either a presumed journey around the world on a raft, or finding their way back after getting lost at sea due to the storm for a year and some odd months.
Thus we now end up in DDD, where maybe sora and riku, have told their parents about the outside world, or said they were just going to visit their friends who they met while lost at sea/go on another journey on their raft.
Plasma Bat you should write shit for people good read
That scene of Kairi’s response to Sora’s drawing hit me. I forgot how much this story impacted me
I don't remember crying during a video game any other time as a kid / teen than during Kingdom Hearts.
I really felt love for these characters, and still do. And now the story is even heading towards Sora being "real" in another world of real people. I love the imagination and passion put into these games so much.
25:51 "rely on Donald's healing" O K I B E L I E V E Y O U
Wow I didn't remember Sunshine looking this good
banks oh snap son we have a flame War up in here
OH HELL NO SUNSHINE WAS FINE BUT KH2 WAS THE BEST GAME EVER AND BEST LOOKING GAME OF SIXTH GEN ALONGSIDE METROID PRIME
banks Sunshine has better water and lighting tech, I'll give you that.
I'm amazed at how fucking well KH2 and 1 have aged, like especially the pirates of the Caribbean section, it goes for realistic but it doesn't look dated despite the numerous improvements in graphics since then.
Thats ypur opinion
The thing about not checking the ability list as a kid spoke to me on a spiritual level
I came back to watch this again after Sora was revealed as the last character to be added in SMASH just to remind myself why this is my personal favorite game of all time. It may not be the best game of all time, trust me I can name 10 other games that are better than this, but its still a great game and its MY favorite game. A game doesnt have to be the best to be my favorite. It just has to be good enough but holds a special place personally. Played this game during a very difficult time in my life, how Sora traversed through different Disney worlds was how I felt I wanted to do at that moment in my life almost 20 years ago. The concept of optimistic escapism was what KH meant to me. Now looking back, this game to me still holds up and will forever have that special place in my heart. That to me that is what Kingdom Hearts meant.
Nothing will ever beat the original Kingdom Hearts... in fact, the Smash trailer is what made me let go of my serious hatred to KH3. Don't get me wrong, that game is still a pile of shit... but I no longer have this feeling where I need to hold this hate and hurt that, that game left on me. Sure, I may think the future of this series may be going on its spiral down hill like it has been since 2012, but the Smash reveal made me remember why I loved Kingdom Hearts in the first place. It had charm, it brought hope and light during the darkest times and it was a distinctive tale of how a simple boy becomes a grown man and a hero. Nothing will ever beat my love to the original Kingdom Hearts and its two sequels to follow, Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts 2. COM has a much better premise, albeit told in a confusing way and even the card gameplay, while not terrible, defiantly not for everyone, it was a worthwhile inclusion and nice expansion to an already great game. KH2 had an amazing combat and gameplay and tried to raise the stakes to the highest its been, but faulters by presenting too many concepts that the story became more confusing and a little harder to follow. But the original outweighs them all, and SSBU reminded me why I was a KH fan in the first place. Because it told a mature, human and adult story that wasn't afraid to take risks, but bringing the Disney Worlds to life by making "YOU" play through them. Not, "re-enact the movie"
a game doesn't even have to be decent to be someone's favorite. There's games that are objectively bad that I can see the good in, and actually really like.
@@cloudshines812 KH3 Hateer. Opinion invalidated
Dude ive replayed kh1 a dozen times all the way through and pointing out Kairi going into Soras heart was a revelation holy shit
Dude, you can't tell me that the pink egaraquis isn't a s3x joke. Think about it.
1. It's pink, the same color as a (you know).
2. When you stop it, it's pose is very suggesting because it's arms are out, symbolizing it's letting you do whatever you want.
3. The more you hit it, it bounces up and down, all yhe while blasting out white stuff from the pink area.
4. You hit it until it's satisfied and its bouncing for a while.
5. Once you've satisfied it, it makes this girlish satisfied expression (very suggestively I might add) and leaves.
This was brilliant.
What's your microphone setup like? Your audio sounds great!
Another elusive bandstand sighting
hi
.4;4.;5444; hours d ddd ffr rrtrftrrrr rrrrrrrtrtrrute do i r we still s
Why did I read that as "microwave set up"
"10 months ago"
"9 days ago"
Someone please respond when this post is exactly 8 hours old.
I think in probably put more hours into this series than any other in my entire life. It honestly changed my life in ways and got me through some tough times during my childhood. I could never thank the people who made this game enough. It’s truly a masterpiece and I hope to one day play it with my children. Hopefully it will be as special to them as it is to me. Coming from a 28 year old.
Just finished my first complete play through since I was a kid. A 27 year old man with two kids crying at 2 am for Sora and Kairi. Simple and clean playing at the end makes my hair stand up and my heart yearn for the days of my youth
splendid comment
@@ax2781 lol yes I’ve played most of the games a long time ago
@@ryanmcwilliams8784 sweet!! what is your favourite episode?
You are literally still in your youth lol
@@amandeep1420 ha tell that to my knees
Dude, this channel is a blessing. Never stop making these videos... They are all such gems, even if I don't always agree with you! So great to see someone producing such in-depth and good content, and analysing some of the best games that we grew up with. If you've played it, I would love to hear your take on Tales of Symphonia....
The only trouble that I have with the videos is that for people who haven't played the game yet, it's a lot of spoilers, also making a game this good, takes a good deal of time and effort, if we want to have better games, we shouldn't endeavor in questionable activities.
I think the strongest features of these games are the relationships. You’ve really hit that home. But I think oftentimes people overlook the importance of directing in gaming because Nomura really gave us the full visual experience as you alluded to in the scene where Kairi becomes part of Sora’s heart. Kingdom Hearts is about promises and this theme is exemplified in all of the relationships he makes with his friends especially to Kairi. This all culminates in the final visual before the credits in Kingdom Hearts 2 where he fulfills his promise to Kairi by not only coming back for her but also returning her lucky charm. The relationship building in this series is so mature and organic that it’s so heartfelt and beautiful when it all comes to a close. I get literal chills up my spine every time I do a chronological play through of the series(something I’ve done about 5 or 6 times by now) and am treated to that final visual before it cuts to the credits and Sanctuary.
Anyways sorry for the rant, I love your Retrospectives, they are always insightful and I really love how it has inklings of film style critique in them which is an angle a lot of game reviewers truly gloss over. I’m looking forward to your future work. This video was a true treat!
5 or 6 times? How do you find the time to do that? Also how can you stand playing DDD that many times?
I mean the newest game in the series not counting Fragmentary Passage is DDD and that came out in 2012 so is once a year a stretch? I don't need to "find time" to do a series playthrough as I've been playing most of these games for half my life in some cases and am very familiar with the controls and story progression to the point where they aren't 40 hour experiences. Each subsequent time the series is rereleased with the PS3 remakes and PS4 remakes I give them another shot as well. It doesn't take much effort to dedicate some time to a game/series that you enjoy.
Also I stand playing DDD that many times because I enjoy it a lot. Its far from the worst game in the series. (That honor goes to 358 which I still enjoy anyway because I like the story)
I feel like KH3 lacked in this area quite a bit
As another adult trying to make it in this chaotic world it is so refreshing to have this series. Even with the crazy time travel I still love it, thanks for the video!
Your intro has me in tears man. Maybe it's because I'm a 23 year old addict who's life is flipping on it's head right now... Who's constantly looked to games for escape... But I feel like the world is accelerating around me, that Kingdom Hearts has just come out so frequently I feel old having only played the first three games because I got lost in actual life commitment. It's sad and terrible... I long to be back in a blockbuster, back when my parents were together, when all I had to worry about was if Donald would fucking heal or not... Kingdom Hearts is stupid and that's why I think it's just... Childhood. Being a baby is stupid. Everything about it. But I miss it. God I fucking miss it.
stop youre making it worse :[
I feel you dude, me too. Adulthood is a scam 😩
Months later, but I feel you man. I hope things are going better for you now!
Get clean you fucking fiend loser
keep your head up, fellow struggler. life is a bitch but with video games as a powerful escape and teaching tool, you can make it through a lot of hardships
I don't even care that much about kingdom hearts, but I can't let 43 minutes of his soothing voice go to waste
My thoughts exactly!
Yes ! I thought I was the only one who thought it was soothing lol
Basically ASMR and video games combined.
you gay asf
@@jaquanholmes5874 lmao😂😂 how do you know it's a guy
"You might call it a Kingdom Hearts Retrospective"
I
I would call it that
you called it that
WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THIS
thanks for the 40 minutes of entertainment while i eat my wholesome breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs and a glass of red wine
being in your early 20s is weird
I know this isn’t Kingdom Hearts related or anything, but I just wanted to tell you straight up that I absolutely love watching your videos and greatly appreciate how much care and time you put in them. As someone who hopes to be a game designer someday, hearing your criticisms and explaining the ways in how each mechanic/story element harmonize together really helps me to ask myself questions like: “How could I make these game mechanics more intertwined?” or “Are there other methods of expression that I use to make my characters feel more genuine and memorable?”. I know there are other CZcams channels who make videos on a similar level of quality to yours (Matthewmatosis being a great example), but there’s just something about the way you share your own personal stories and describe the various worlds and themes within a game that really shows how much passion you have for your work and for video games as a whole.
That bit at the beginning really got to me... I’m feeling the same way, it’s tough. I get teary eyed every time I hear Lazy Afternoons from Twilight Town. That song, that world, they’re part of my growing up.
At my age, I’m not a young kid or teenager anymore. Life goes on, and stuff gets harder. But Kingdom Hearts has always been there for me, and I’m happy that I’ve grown up with the series.
Great video man ~
I keep hoping for a animated adaptation of kingdom hearts. I love the series and it's really stuck with me over the years but I have a two-year-old son now who has fallen asleep to the Kingdom hearts soundtrack several times. It's something that I wanna share with him in the future but I feel like there are so many games and some of them feel dated to the point that it might be a hard sale.
Never played this game or any in the series, but as a kid when they first came out, I wanted to play them so badly. Not because I cared about Disney characters or Final Fantasy. I was just _enchanted_ by Simple and Clean, and it's use in the trailers. Such a beautiful song.
Great video! Personally, I always liked the combat in KH1 better than 2. I loved the slower, more focused combat. I played using the dodge roll FAR more than the guard command. If I remember right, I equipped guard for maybe one battle? Then, in KH2, I didn't get dodge, the thing that I had built my entire play-style around, until VERY late in the game. I ended up exploiting the triangle commands and limit breaks, making the game really, really easy for me. It just felt like I was pressing X to win. But in KH1, I was memorizing, strategizing, and fell into a sort of Dark Souls like rhythm when I played, without it feeling mindless. Although, I completely understand that I'm an outlier, opinion wise. I really like 358, and I thought the Roxas part of KH2 was the best. In any case, I loved your video. I hope you make one looking at Kingdom Hearts 2!
Ehhhh, someone else who liked 358, it may have gotten monotonous with its missions *don't even get me started on Emerald Serenade*, but it pushed the character development for the entire organization (even those from COM, although to a much, much lesser extent) as well as riku. It completed roxas as a tragic hero, and for that its one of the best for me story wise. Its plot may have been basic *Play as roxas during his year in the organization* but its execution and scenarios with characters was something I will never forget.
I know this is an old comment but as someone that played this series for the first time this year I also liked the combat more in KH1 in comparison to KH2. Sure at first KH2 seems like a big improvement in comparison because of the ultra fast and smooth combat but I hated how floaty sora was whenever he was knocked back, hated the limit breaks commands or whenever there was any quick time events during combat, hated that you had to level the limit form to get the dodge roll and the game never told you that (always assumed that you got It through regular leveling up like in KH1) and finally the stupid fucking anti form mechanic that makes leveling up drive forms even harder than It needed to be, I get It was made so people wouldn't abuse drive forms but the game never tells you that and to any normal player It just seems like a completelly random thing that comes at the most unexpected time, because of this I never bothered to use drive forms outside of getting the dodge roll.
KH1 might be have slower and clunkier combat in comparison to every other kingdom hearts game but I like how It feels more like a zelda game and not an hack and slash like devil may cry.
If you haven't already, try playing KH2 on critical mode. That will 90% fix the "press X to win" problem.
I adore your content. You enunciate with such clarity, and speak with a steady pace that makes listening easy, and enjoyable. You put emphasis when needed and your visuals only enhance the cases and points you're trying to make. Keep on keeping on, and I'll keep an eye out for more of your fantastic videos.
Sora x Goofy ftw
AnimaHaynes YES
taking raw dogging to a whole new level
excuse you! sora x pooh 5ever
too bad ventus' heart belongs to sora and vice versa
AnimaHaynes
Jiminy Cricket X Pluto
My dude i have been thoroughly enjoying your videos, idk if you saw my comment on your earthbound video but i work with cultural and philosophical analysis in games on my channel and on treesicle. You have great flavor and id legitimately like to work with you on something sometime. Super good stuff here.
God I love this series so damn much. It's just so fun and the story is actually really interesting even with how stupid it gets later. Plus it's the really good side of anime and gotdamn if dearly beloved doesnt get me every single time on the final screens. Seriously you putting it there got me really misty eyed. This series is just so meaningfu for me
I agree. As much as I love the series, KH should've ended at KH2. Heck, I feel like it was even planned to end there seeing that nearly everything was wrapped up at the end of KH2, the only loose threads being the letter from Mickey which could've just been taken out, and the heartless still running around, and the secret ending of KH1 hinted to them possibly fixing that problem too. I think it was planned for the series to end at KH2, and I really wish it did
KH1 & 2 are the greats, and while the other games are nowhere near essential for fans of the genre I still had my fun with them.
Man, I love Kingdom Hearts. Deeply. I'll always remember KH2 specifically as a game that I stayed up playing until I fell asleep, left the game running, and then woke up and continued to play without missing a beat. Seriously, the series is amazing.
You gave me 'Nam tier flashbacks with that Ultima grind and fighting DEFINITELY NOT XEMNAS though. Gosh, those were slogs that took many days.
Dude, when you started playing Always on my Mind at the end, I don't know why but I legit started crying. That song always does it to me. It's so bloody beautiful.
I love this series so much. I played it when I was 7 years old and now in a few more months we're gonna see the end of the Xehanort Saga. If I can play this series until I'm 100 years old, I'll be more than okay with that.
This notification just made my whole day, I love this man KingK.
I am truly enjoying all these Kingdom Hearts retrospectives so many CZcamsrs are making. So enjoyable to watch.
Holy crap I’m older than KingK
Same. *D,X*
I would kill for a Super Mario RPG retrospective!
Sora and Riku remind me so much of Naruto and Sasuke.
Only much better.
Only much much much better
^^^ What they said
Only much much much much better
OMFG.... Kinda, yeah.... *O_O*
not sure if this'll ever be seen, but I want you to know that this video series got me to find a copy of the HD collection and play these games for myself recently. thank you for the introduction, and the brilliant commentary as always
Hey dude. Just found your video retrospective and I agree wholeheartedly with it. You do seem to be objective in your analysis. Keep it up, this is sorely needed in our hobby.
can't wait for the KH2 retrospective
The grinding is what cemented the game's music and Donalds "I GOT IT" into my memories forever. You forgot gathering for those post cards, bringing back the 101 Dalmatians and the Blue Mushrooms. The grinding for me was what made the game so fun to replay over and over throughout the years. Thank you for the nostalgic feeling given through the video and good job on everything else and to end it all with dearly beloved 👏👏👏 Good work my good sir.
Seeing this just makes me dread the 3 review more and more seeing how fun and how much care 1 had.
This was the first game I completed properly as a 10 year old gamer back in 2002. 🙈 So many good memories. I cannot wait until next month with the release of Kingdom Hearts 3.
I’ve been binge watching your reviews, they’re all amazing so far.
I love Kingdom Hearts. Having played this game on release for the PS2, it has stood the test of time and is an instrumental building block in my life. Although I question where the series went from here and Kingdom Hearts 2, I will always love it and appreciate it for the great times I've had with it, and by God I need Kingdom Hearts 3 right now so help me God.
For whatever reason Traverse Town's theme is one of the tracks that has stuck with me the most over the years. Perhaps it's mainly because I spent so much time in that world as a kid terrible at video games would, but that song just gets to me every time.
33 this year and I still love this game. I’ve refused to replay it in-case it tarnished my perfect memory. The first game I ever did ABSOLUTELY everything in. That long long long Clock Tower boss... sheesh.
Im the same age as you as it turns out. I get that same feeling when you talk about an unbreakable bond with this series. I grew out of a lot of things but KH was one thing that stuck and I could never put my finger on it. You do a great job keep it up.
Re watched all these last night cause I knew Sora would be in Smash.
i cant believe youre 20, i thought you'd be at least 30. mainly due to your voice and excellent vocabulary and annunciation. well done man
Man, I'm going through all your videos since I just found you and you are great. So articulate and informative. You talked about things that I wouldn't even think would make a game great
I loved how in depth this video went, yet still managed to constantly be moving. You never got stuck on a topic for too long. I'm super excited to watch the next one!
Kingdom Hearts has this special place in my heart that means I will absolutely feel myself tearing up every time I hear these iconic tracks. When I was a kid, my Disney obsessed mind was blown by this game and as an adult, KH 1 and 2 just fill me with a sense of wellbeing and dreamy nostalgia to play.
I love this video, it took me straight back to my childhood. I've been thinking about replaying KH2 and I think the time is now.
Well _that_ was fast.
Listening to this video was almost like I was listening to National Geographic plus someone talking about a game that is so close to my heart. I like gaming reviews where the narrator is someone who is experienced in the game, talks about what made the game great, and still manages to not let the hype get to them. I hope you continue with the rest of the KH series. Great Video.
New follower this is my first video of yours. KH is a series that i too love. Its tough going back to one but its where it all started. Kh1 is still a great game. I look forward to watching more of your work. Expect to hear more from me. Thanks keep it up
Simple and Clean > Sanctuary
RE: Special Heartless
Sniperwilds can go straight to hell.
That is all.
I've always thought of doing a retrospective for KH but this is the most honest review of the first game so far! I would be far too harsh on this game
I keep coming back to this video to revisit one of my favorite games from my childhood. I can feel your passion for these games and it is fun to go through these with you
I think I just felt an old, old feeling.I can barely believe it.
I think it was...excitement for Kh3 and whatever it will do to bring back this experience? Man. The KH franchise has its flaws but I think in the end I really love it. It's just so expertly crafted to speak to and encourage *kids*, and I think that's part of why its so deeply resonant for so many of us.
Thanks for rekindling my appreciation for this series with this video. Means a lot.
I hear you on this.
imho, the KH3 trailers did a nice job on giving me that crazy feeling of "WOAAHHH" when the new worlds were announced, and what you could do with them. Monsters Inc. and Toy Story freaked me out with the innovative gameplay on display.
Nice comment.
42:05 "I'm not gonna force you to donate." Ah, good. I was worried that you were going to strangle me through your CZcams video and compel me to pay up.
It really calms me that someone got the same sadness when it comes to topics like this, thank you for sharing
Thanks for the upload. I came to video gaming later in life (29, if you don't count some light arcade action), and found this gem. I'm 53 now and this game brings back such wonderful and frustrating memories. Love how the 1.5 camera controls fixed its most annoying control issue. Soundtrack still gets to me. Never got the Ultima Weapon
I got the first Kingdom Hearts in a bundle deal when I got my first PS2, immediately dismissed it as kiddie tat and traded it in to get Final Fantasy X.
About 6 months later a friend came round and insisted that I try this new game he'd just picked up, I saw it was Kingdom Hearts and told him I don't play kiddie games. He scoffed at me and insisted on leaving the game with me for the night, telling me to just try it out, so I did.
I then found myself feeling like an absolute fool! How could I dismiss this amazing game out of hand!?! The music, the characters, The worlds featuring some of my favourite Final Fantasy characters voiced by some of my favourite actors (except Aerith, Mandy Moore does a fantastic 2x4 impression)! Since then I have made it a point to get every release as soon as I am able.
I re-purchased it as soon as possible.
Not all the games are great, but that doesnt matter to me since I actually enjoy the overarching story and characters, which means I can ignore flaws in the gameplay and the music never fails (Xion's Theme for 358/2 is fantastic!).
As a 35yo man I love Kingdom Hearts and I don't care what anyone thinks of that.
Same here man! I’m 31 now. But when I was 14/15 in 2004/5 a friend of mine suggested KH1. I dismissed it at first but it quickly became my most cherished game/story. I can’t let go of this franchise no matter how layered and complex it is for me sometimes.
Thanks dude
Makes me feel better when my dad tells me a 19 year old dude why I’m playing a video game with goofy and Donald. Grow up! Lmao
"Set to be released this year"
Ah, hindsight
Can’t wait for the rest of this series. I’ve been a fan of Kingdom Hearts since the beginning after watching my cousin play the first one. These retrospectives, in my opinion, are well organized and thought out. Keep up the good work
Wow!! This video and channel is a hidden CZcams gem :D I love how you represent the game and combine it with your childhood. I love it :D
Hahaha. I will have to try a bk joe for once. Made me laugh hard, boi.
Seriously tho, Never played kingdom hearts. Your passion for it is contageous in a way. As adults, we learned to better appreciate things and compare what you thought of a game before versus now is why I love your retrospective so damn much.
Also, it is impressive how fast you go through the game, made a script AND edit the whole thing. GG well played mate. Great vid. I raise you my BK joe.
Wait, what?
puu.sh/zxM4y/13370c3e43.png
20 hours ago? Did your comment go through some kind of time rift?
*Edit:*
Reloaded the page and now it says 21 hours ago. What is happening?
patreon time exclusive.
it's not SoraXRiku, it's SoraXRoxas sir.
Annelimo Nia Vera it’s selfcest
Syphn It's called screwing yourself.
more like SoraXRoxasXVentusXXion
I am upvoting this without understanding it. It sounds so wrong, but also like the ultimate "loving yourself" symbolism that Kingdom Hearts would throw in for fun.
Nah fam Sora x Riku x Kairi for the win
I fell in love with Yoko Shimomura's work after I played Xenoblade Chronicles. Pretty much every track in that game is pure, eargasmic gold
this is such a great video, man. kingdom hearts has always been on my radar but no one before you has ever explained the appeal or the meaning that that makes the series so worthwhile to so many people. out of anything i've watched or read, this video has made me interested in kingdom hearts. great job.
Absolutely hated the level design in this game. Felt claustrophobic, and wasn't all ThT fun to even explore. Kh2 did a lot better in this regard. Haven't wasted my time with the side games.
It was claustrophobic...but it worked in favor of the combat. GamingBritShow did a DMC retrospective and talked about how important feeling closed in and keeping you on your toes is a good thing. It's the same here...it just sucks ass when you have to actually traverse with any kind of platforming.
“Haven’t wasted my time with the side games” you’re wasting your time watching this video then, missing out on a great series w shallow thought. Highly suggest u pick up the collection 1.5+2.5 on ps4
Tyler Edlin
They aren't side games though...
They literally are though...
And it's the opposite of shallow lol. That the best you can do?
Tyler Edlin
You preferred the corridor that was Kingdom Hearts twos level design?
KH2 fans truly are a boring people.
Good vid. Well-blanced in criticism. Look forward to KH2 retrospective soon, I hope?
KingK you and I are in sync. I'm 20 years old and started with KH2 when I was about 8 or 9. I never played KH1 until recently purchasing the HD remasters on PS4. Like you, I look so much into the music of video games, especially those from this series, Zelda, and Metroid. I have enjoyed watching your retrospectives quite simply because of how relatable they are to my own personal childhood. Thank you for posting your retrospectives and keep up the great work.
Man, I've got so many games in my backlog to play but now you've put me in the mood to replay the entire series.
SAME.
Personally, I've found the whole Sora x Riku to be a big pet peeve of mine.
Have you ever wondered, why is it so common in the western nations that guys are reluctant to openly show affection to their friends? This is why.
My dating life is composed entirely of gay relationships from the start, so it's not that I'm "homophobic", but I find it a tragedy that two guys absolutely can't show the bond that only two best friends can without people making "gay" connections.
Sora is so glaringly obviously having a romantic relationship with Kairi and Sora's relationship to Riku is nothing if not platonic. It's a beautiful friendship that is absolutely tainted by people trying to make it sexual. It hurts.
Of course, in the end people are allowed to make their own headcanons of the media they consume, as distasteful as they may be.
Facts. Watching this for the first time and I was thinking this as soon as it was said in the video and I saw some comments pissed off about sora and Kairi 😂
The second Ursula fight had me tearing my hair out
I love this video because it made me realize what kingdom hearts really means to me. It inspired me to do so many things in my life and well just made me so happy as a child, teen, and now an adult! Kingdom Hearts will always have a special place in my heart and I hope it will for many other people!
This stuff is why I love your content man. I'm right there with you waiting and hoping for KH3 to finally drop.
in 2019...
Can't wait for your KH2 Retrospective. Keep up the good work!
thanks for the age drop... im gonna go have a mid-life crisis in the corner.
I actually preferred the combat in KH1. It felt more strategic than any other entry. KH3 is all gimmick and KH2 you could cheese everyone with reflect, at least until critical mode. But even in critical mode all regular enemies and several bosses would fall quickly to a well timed reflect spell.
what a coincidence, i just started my KH3 count down full series play through on twitch today. great video as always. cant wait for the rest
The music in the released opening for 3 was beautiful to hear. Definitely gave me the impression “this is it the culmination of all this”
Okay now this is comming from Someone who has played KH Recently as an adult , so i have no nostalgic bias
The first time i played it i thought to myself "Its increadibly Corny" Even Disney Characters were too corny which seemed for me really out of character, But at the same time they went well with the Kh Tone which i appriciate and Even though i did not grew up playing this game i somehow felt like a kid when i was playing it, probably because it had disney which i did grew up with could it be the "disney magic" Effect? maybe Also fighting alongside them was really cool Especially aladdin and Ariel which were probably the most powerful and useful party memebers in the game.
The Worlds were interesting but i wish i could've explored them a lot more, Wonderland is probably the best world the amount of secret doors it has is great and really made me want to explore more, unfortunatley i cant say that to other worlds Such as Halloweentown, Neverland And Monstro. Haloweentown just felt really boring and didn't have many places to go to, Neverland (Which is increadibly misleading bc we were on a ship and not on island neverland) is a maze like ship and not interesting and Monstro had so many bright colors that it gave me a headache.
But the world that i loved with all my heart is probably Traverse Town, I know that i said i didn't have a nostalgic Bias But Traverse Town really gave me nostalgia bc it reminded me of my neigbourhood, and the childlike wonder, what i love about this world is the fact that everytime you comeback there you always discover hidden rooms and its always different, Since i was a kid my family would move a lot and its always on the same area, and everytime i moved id always discover new places that id never knew so this world just hit close to home (no pun intended) the world is also really welcoming and feels like the place you would go and rest after a tiring long day.
The characters while i though were just overly cliche anime tropes really did grew on me and i enjoyed their relationships alot and started to appricate the overall message.
So to wrap it up, even though i have no nostalgic connection to it, i still find it as a really charming and an enjoyable game.
I liked Sora’s character in this game the best. He starts out as a naive kid leading a simple life but over the course of the game he learns new things and grows as a character. In later installments I feel like they make him this incredibly stupid, non growing character that’s almost cringe worthy. It’s kind of a slap in the face to the original game and story.
You are 20. Stuff gets wayyyyy more real. Enjoy that now brother. Love your content
Awesome retrospective. Can't wait for your take on KH2.
After Watching Two KH Reveiw Marathons and Several Rants and Analysis on the Franchise,I finally got around to playing KH 1,2,and BBS FM.Did not really bother touching the others due to Bad Word of Mouth
I think Kingdom Hearts 1FM is still the most well rounded in the Series.
The Story,while incredibly basic and simple,seems to avoid falling into the traps of other stories in the franchise.It is not Citizen Kane or Godfather Part 2,but compared to other KH games it good.
People say Kingdom Hearts Storyline is complex when it really is not,the story is just convoluted as fuck.At the end of the day,Kingdom hearts is really the same old same old themes of Power of Friendship,and Good VS Evil.The only thing resembling complexity is Riku,since he uses darkness in order to be a Hero(Somewhat like Cecil from FF4).Kingdom Hearts does not tackle Censorship,Society,etc which are very complex themes in nature and when done well can give a person a lot to think about.My best guess is that Kingdom Hearts was originally meant to be about the nature of mankind,but it slowly lost its way.
Ignoring the Convoluted Nature of the Overarching Plot,Kingdom Hearts Story has several other problems.Frequent Retcons undervalue the story and said retcons and there explanations can be confusing,or contrived as fuck.A lot of the Characters are not developed and despite there being many games have not gone through arcs.The only characters that feel different from KH1 currently is Sora(Who is more Mature?) and obviously Riku. Also,Kingdom Hearts has this really annoying habit of bringing back characters that were killed off in previous games,cutting a lot of achievement and resolution of these characters.The Disney Worlds are rarely intertwined into the main plot bar KH1,Beats Castle in 2,etc.Final Fantasy Characters are not utilized enough and there characterization is hit and miss
Enough with the Story
In Terms of Gameplay,KH1 despite being the first game in the series is really only beaten by 2 in Boss Design and Actual Gameplay.I do prefer things in 1 like Not Needing a Combo Finisher to finish off bosses,Tech Points,etc.Also,I do like how Magic interacts with enemies and the environment in 1 a lot.However,KH2 has a lot more options and flash to the battle system
World Design,I still think KH1 is the best in the series. Despite Other games giving Sora more mobility,you rarely use those upgrades to platform and explore.One thing I love doing in Kingdom Hearts 1 is backtracking with new abilities to get new items,much like a Metroid Game.
Diffuclty Design Wise:Kingdom Hearts as a whole franchise struggles with this.The Games are not balanced around your different options on Standard Mode(Which is the Default Difficulty so I will judge it on that),and the games rarely motivate me me to use other options
Kingdom Hearts 2 would be way better than 1 if they had some revisions to the story imo,but seeing as these are story driven games I would rate KH1FM higher.KH2FM is still a Phenomenal Game though
The other games get a bad rep for what they were, because its really (REALLY) unfair to compare a DS game, to a console game, which is sadly what it comes too.
The story for most of them are good enough to be considered KH in each (except for the fact that Recoded is very self contained to begin with, than gets entirely shoved into being self contained by DDD, which basically restates all the info we got in Recoded, making it a pointless game plot wise), however Recoded has the best *subjective to interpretation based on how your play through went* combat out of the handhelds, that was very balanced, addictively fun (although the fight area was bland as shit and repetitive), its leveling system was very unique and provided a unique playstyle that allowed you to customize sora to your liking, although it had some bad gimmicks for some worlds.
Days has the best character development, (with all13 Org members getting some exposition into their character, even for the COM members), and completes roxas's arc as a tragic hero, but doesn't complete his character fully with loose ends to still tie up.
BBS, while not nearly fast gameplay thats as fun, or truly well developed characters that you can believe in till the end*COUGH COUGH, their friendship feels so fake to me in the beginning*, it had a good plot, that tied together well with the other games, explained some shit from the other games that made no sense, and set up a good tragic ending, as well as adding a overall arcing villain to the fold, who is alright. BBS is infact one of the best games for the PSP, that made it worth buying in the first place, and all the other games are rated very highly for the platforms they were on.
In the end they were all handheld games, that could never hold a candle to the Console games with game play or world design, but when looking individually and for what console they were on, they are indeed very good games.
People dont critcize the Handhelds for not living up to the PS2 Titles but rather issues with the games itself.For Instance Dream Drop Distance has balancing issues on commands,a awful story,and other gameplay issues.Days is often seen as a repetitive mess that drags like nothing else.Recoded is just seen as pointless
I guess what most ppl miss about the handheld versions is that there were people without a ps2 and yet a partly-shitty childhood and heck 358/2, even being ultraclunky, achieved the following:
That gooddamn Axel - Roxas cutscene gives me shivers to this day, even fucking tears. I watched the 358 days film and my entry to the series was chain of memories back then, i can even recite the fucking text and the pronounciation echoes since it resonated so strong with the time the game took to set up this breaking point.The end of zion as weird as it all was tears your heart out and shouts: cry for it! . There is something so beautiful about these games and Nomora: for the final game, i wanna be a „man“ now with similar issues, i wanna cry once fucking more!!!
Long stroy short, i can admit the handhelds while clunky and only for some are a nice entrance to the series for outcasts and despite their small flawls(and i played them all several times(riku in chains, all pathes BBS) are worthy entries.
Try level 1 Critical mode on KH2 for difficulty design. the fact that it's even possible and that every boss is viable on this difficulty shows the depth of the battle system. also you'll find yourself using almost every spell in the game on a regular basis because certain enemies are more vulnerable to different elements.
I should not be forced to play Super Hard Mode to have the game motivate me to use other options other than Comboes
This review should be called: How I played KH as an ignorant child.
GOD THAT INTRO GAVE ME SUCH FEELS AS I CAN RELATE SO HARD. This timing is beyond perfect as I'm close to recompleting kh1, and will be replaying them all in the HD collection too. So much hype. Your work is always good but this will be my favorite retrospective from you.
Hey KingK i really enjoyed your vid! I'm glad you put aside what was expected of you and focused on what you are passionate about, it shows in the final product.
SoraxRiku isn't a thing because Sora drew Kairi on the wall with the paopu fruit, got flustered when Riku mentioned the paopu fruit and Kairi, and imagined himself dancing with Kairi in Halloween Town. All signs point to SoraxKairi being the OTP. I do understand that Sora's reaction to finding Riku again was more powerful than his reaction to seeing Kairi again, but it's a stretch to assume considering all the evidence for Kairi. You can ship whatever you want to, but canon is canon
Notification squad!
Very glad to see your retrospectives back. And, I have a lot of love for this series (even its plot), so it's nice to see such a structured video. Keep 'em up!
One of your best videos yet! Thank you soooo much for the quality content!
KH1 is amazing, and while I love the series, I also really wish that KH1 would have been a stand-alone game. Because it was just so perfect on its own. With all the expansions to its lore/story/characters now, it's so hard to follow. Still an amazing series, but man, it's so thicc with plot now, and that's excluding all the Disney stuff interwoven into the games.
whats kingdom hearts
vinpie light
vinpie i think its called kingdom of hearts
Does not compute. Does not compute. System Shutdown.
CrashJakFan1994 ok I believe you
An idea so incredibly dumb, and amazing at the same time
God I could listen to this sort of talk about Kingdom Hearts for hours, even as a relative newbie to it, there is an undeniable charisma and charm to it all, in the good and the bad. Looking forward to hearing more in the future.
Great video man, can't wait for the rest of the series!