Wikipedia

Kingdom Hearts (video game)

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 68.200.81.62 (talk) at 06:22, 18 January 2005 (→Voice cast (Japanese)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Kingdom Hearts (Japanese: キングダムハーツ Kingudamu Haatsu) is a RPG that was released in Autumn of 2002, which is notable for being the result of a collaboration between the video game manufacturer and producer Square-Enix (then Square) and The Walt Disney Company.

Kingdom Hearts
File:Khbox.jpg
Developer: Square-Enix
Publisher: Square-Enix
Release date: September 20, 2002
Genre: RPG
Game modes: Single player
ESRB rating: Everyone (E)
Platform: PlayStation 2
Media: DVD

Overview

Kingdom Hearts begins on a lush tropical island, home to the main characters Sora, Riku, and Kairi. One night, a storm sweeps through the island, and evil creatures called the Heartless appear. The three friends are separated. It is then Sora receives his weapon, the Keyblade. Using the keyblade and teaming up with various Disney characters, such as Donald and Goofy, he seeks to defeat the Heartless and be reunited with his friends.

It is an action-based RPG, featuring realtime rendered backgrounds and scenery. The music is composed by Yoko Shimomura, the ending credits theme and opening orchestration is by Kaoru Wada, and the main vocal theme is "Hikari" (light), or "Simple and Clean" in Western releases, composed and performed by Utada Hikaru.

Plot

In Kingdom Hearts, an evil villain has used the Heartless to tear down the walls between the many worlds. Lead character Sora, as well as popular Disney characters Donald Duck and Goofy must travel to each of these, using the mighty Keyblade to seal the entrances to the hearts of the worlds before the Heartless can destroy them. The main villain himself seeks to find the door into utter Darkness. Sora's friend, Riku, has been bewitched by the Darkness, and makes several attempts on his life.

Final Mix

In Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, the Japanese re-release of the game, several events and a number of gameplay tweaks are added. Various new enemies, abilities and weapons are created, and slight changes have been made to affect the game's difficulty. The game ends with what many fans assume to be the teaser trailer for Kingdom Hearts II, a sequel which has recently been announced. In this teaser, titled Deep Dive, Mickey and four other cloaked figures are shown. One of the Unknowns carries two keyblades, and the other has been confirmed as Riku.

Worlds

The many "worlds" in which the game takes place include various Disney settings, as well as some original ones.

The Disney-based worlds:

The original worlds:

  • Destiny Islands
  • Traverse Town
  • Hollow Bastion
  • End of the World

Voice cast {English}

Voice cast (Japanese)

Characters

Sora

The hero of the game, Sora is 14 years old and on a quest to find his friends while saving various worlds from the Heartless. He carries a peculiar weapon, the Keyblade, and travels with Disney characters Donald Duck and Goofy who are looking for their king, Mickey Mouse. As a teenager, Sora has his share of concerns, but overall, he manages to keep an upbeat attitude. He seems too simple-minded at times, but he has a strong sense of justice.

Riku

One of Sora's best friends and lives with him on Destiny Islands. Although Riku is 'offically' Sora's best friend, he seems more like a friendly rival. Riku is older than his friends and much more serious then them. He cannot stand living in the enclosed world of the islands and seeks to find a way out. He and his two friends start to build a raft in hopes to sail to another world at the start of the game. However, when the Heartless attack the islands, Riku seems to have no fear of the darkness they bring and goes into it willingly, but falls under the allure of Maleficent and Ansem.Brave but strong. link title

Kairi

She is Sora's other best friend who lives with him and Riku on Destiny Islands. Kairi is the youngest of the three. Sora and Riku often compete for her attention and affection. Kairi becomes mentally void when she lost her heart, which was inside Sora's own heart the whole time...

Disney Bad Guys

The villains of Kingdom Hearts. Led by Maleficent, they are composed of Jafar, Hades, Ursula, Oogie Boogie, and Captain Hook. They used the Heartless for their evil plans in order to obtain seven maidens of the purest heart, called the Princesses of Heart. As Ansem's journal said, once they had obtained all 7 such Princesses, they will be able to unlock the Final Keyhole... Other Disney villians that have also appeared but are not affiliated with Maleficent are the Queen of Hearts and Clayton.

Ansem

The TRUE villain of Kingdom Hearts, he was hiding in the shadows until Maleficent gathered all seven Princesses of Heart. He was the ruler of Hollow Bastion (where the villians set up their base of operations), but he was maddened by his research on the Heartless, beleving that only the power of darkness rules existence. He entered the darkness, losing his body in the process, but had a will great enough to withstand becoming a Heartless himself, and instead became something more. Deceiving Riku into letting him possess the boy's body, Ansem regained his physical form and purged Riku's heart from him when he tried to fight back. Sora followed Ansem to the world beyond the Final Keyhole, to the the Everlasting Darkness, and defeated him...

The Heartless

Mysterious beings that hunt Sora, there are many types. Most of them were people whose hearts were taken by the darkness, but the ones with crests on them are Heartless that Ansem artifically created in some of his experiments.

Final Fantasy Cameos

On Destiny Islands, you meet up with younger-versions of Tidus, Wakka (both from Final Fantasy X) and Selphie from Final Fantasy VIII. In Traverse Town, you encounter Squall (under the alias of Leon) from Final Fantasy VIII, as well as Aerith, Cid, and Yuffie from Final Fantasy VII. In the Olympus Collesium, you get to fight not only Leon and Yuffie, but Cloud Strife of Final Fantasy VII as well. In the American and Final Mix versions, you get to fight Sephiroth as well, but Final Mix has a additional scene where Cloud and Sephiroth fight to the death.

The Keyblade

The main weapon in Kingdom Hearts, the Keyblade, is wielded by Sora and is the only thing that can lock the worlds, thus preventing the Heartless from consuming the heart of a world. It is the only weapon that can destroy the Heartless completely, though because of it, the wielder, Sora, is constantly pursued by the Heartless. However, they are drawn to Sora's heart, not the Keyblade.

The Keyblade is upgradable via keychains, each of which change its appearance and powers.

List of Keychains

  • Kingdom Key
  • Jungle King
  • Crabclaw
  • Lady Luck
  • Ultima
  • Lionheart
  • Metal Chocobo
  • Olympia
  • Divine Rose
  • Three Wishes
  • Fairy Harp
  • Oblivion
  • Oathkeeper
  • Spellbinder
  • Wishing Star
  • Pumpkinhead

Final Mix Keychains

  • One Winged Angel
  • Diamond Dust

Trivia

The secret boss 'Kurt Zisa' is named after the winner of a contest held by Squaresoft to promote the game.

Sequel

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, the Game Boy Advance sequel to the original game, takes place directly after the plot of Kingdom Hearts, and as such is an interquel providing the link between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2. It was released on December 7, 2004.

A second sequel, Kingdom Hearts 2 for the PlayStation 2, is in the works. Its planned release dates in both Japan and the United States are confirmed to be in Q3 2005.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kingdom_Hearts_(video_game)&oldid=9450842"