Kingdom Hearts series
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese American video game series developed and published by Square Enix
. It is a collaboration between Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios, and is under the direction of Tetsuya Nomura
, a longtime Square Enix character designer. Kingdom Hearts is a crossover
of various Disney
settings based in a universe
made specifically for the series. The series features an all-star voice cast
, which includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors and well-known celebrities such as Haley Joel Osment
, David Gallagher
, Jesse McCartney
, Hayden Panettiere
, Christopher Lee
, Willa Holland
, Jason Dohring
, Mark Hamill
, and Leonard Nimoy
. Characters from Square Enix's Final Fantasy
series make appearances and interact with the player and the 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, though the most recent games have centered around other characters central to the series' storyline.
The series currently consists of seven games including remakes 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 title has seen varying levels of success. As of August 2010, the Kingdom Hearts series has shipped over 14 million copies worldwide, with 2 million copies in PAL region
s, 3.0 million copies in Japan, and 5.6 million copies in North America. A wide variety of related merchandise has been released along with the games, including soundtracks, figurines, companion books, and an ongoing manga series.
remake of the GBA game Chain of Memories titled Re:Chain of Memories and a V CAST
mobile phone game developed by Superscape
. Another mobile phone game was developed in-house by Square Enix while the last game, created for Nintendo DS
, was developed in cooperation with h.a.n.d.
. The second mobile phone game has only been released in Japan although there are plans to release it in other territories. The three main games were released in chronological order, with each new title following the events of the previous title, while the V CAST game was developed independently from the main series. The latest releases are Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days for Nintendo DS Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep for the PSP
, along with a Nintendo DS
remake of Coded titled Re:Coded.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
is the second game in the series. It was released on the Game Boy Advance
in Japan on November 11, 2004 and in North America on December 7, 2004. Chain of Memories was touted as a bridge between the two PlayStation 2 titles, introducing and previewing plot elements that would be explored in the next game. The gameplay is 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 was released as a standalone title in North America on December 2, 2008.
Kingdom Hearts II
is the third game in the series, and is set one year after Chain of Memories. It was released in Japan on December 22, 2005,in Europe on September 29, 2006 and North America on March 28, 2006 for the PlayStation 2. The game further explored the "heart" concept by involving the Nobodies and "bodies". The gameplay is similar to that of the first Kingdom Hearts game, with the addition of more options to attack enemies and the Reaction Command, which utilized the triangle button to perform context-sensitive actions in battle and interaction with characters and the environment. 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.
Kingdom Hearts coded
is the fourth installment in the series. It is for Mobile Phones and was released in episodes with the first being released in Japan on November 18, 2008. The game picks up after the events of Kingdom Hearts II, focusing this time on King Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy Cricket, who discover a mysterious sentence in Jiminy's journal and subsequently digitize the journal's contents to find the one responsible. The game was released in episodes and as of January 2010, all eight episodes have been released. Though the game is a Japan-exclusive, Square Enix immediately stated that it had plans for releases in other territories, and Phil Snyder
, the new voice actor for Jiminy Cricket
since Eddie Carroll
's passing, partially confirmed this by stating that he would be voicing Jiminy for a game titled Kingdom Hearts Re:coded which was presented in a trailer at E3 2010, and has been released on the Nintendo DS platform, making it the second Kingdom Hearts game to be released on that console (since it was released after 358/2 Days). Re:coded was released in Japan on October 7, 2010, January 11, 2011 in North America, and on January 14, 2011 in Europe.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
is the fifth title in the series for the Nintendo DS
and was released in Japan on May 30, 2009, and in North America on September 29, 2009. It is set primarily between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, revolving around Roxas' time in Organization XIII
and his motives for ultimately leaving the Organization to pursue the answers he seeks. It was first announced at the Tokyo Game Show
2007 with cooperative multiplayer on display, in addition to the traditional use of AI
-controlled partners. It is the first game in the series to feature cooperative multiplayer with the most playable characters ever featured in a Kingdom Hearts title to date, at 19.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
is the sixth title in the series, released for the PlayStation Portable
in Japan on January 9, 2010, and in North America on September 7, 2010. The game is set ten years before the events of the original Kingdom Hearts. The game consists of three scenarios with each focusing on one of the three protagonists: Terra, Ventus and Aqua who are apprentices of Master Eraqus. They set out in search of the missing Master Xehanort and protect the worlds by defeating creatures called the Unversed, while each travel their separate ways and encounter their own agenda along the way with the origins of Sora and Xehanort revealed. The game was re-released exclusively to Japan under the name Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix on January 20, 2011, with the content from the English versions as well as brand new features, such as a playable Secret Episode.
, Verizon Wireless
's broadband service, and was released on October 1, 2004 in Japan and on February 4, 2005 in the United States. It was one of the launch games for the V CAST services. The game, developed by Superscape
and published by Disney Mobile
with no involvement from Square Enix, features gameplay akin to the original Kingdom Hearts game, modified for the input method of mobile phones. The game's storyline features Sora struggling to free himself from a nightmare induced by Maleficent's magic.
Kingdom Hearts Mobile
is a Kingdom Hearts themed online game in which players can play mini-games together. Unlike Kingdom Hearts for the V Cast and Kingdom Hearts coded
, Kingdom Hearts Mobile does not have a storyline and focuses more on socializing and mini-games as it is more of a service rather than a game. The service is in conjunction with Kingdom Hearts coded
which unlocks new costumes for avatars in Kingdom Hearts Mobile whenever the player completes an episode of Kingdom Hearts coded. New Kingdom Hearts related merchandise such as wallpapers, ringtones, graphics and other items can be purchased and downloaded through the service for mobile phones.
will be the seventh installment of the series and the next major installment after Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. It was previously known as Kingdom Hearts 3D until the official title was revealed. The game will focus on Sora
and Riku Nomura has previously stated that the game would be connected to 358/2 Days, coded and Birth by Sleep, and would be more of a main game than a spin-off or sidestory. Chronologically, the game picks up after Kingdom Hearts coded, and it is set for a Spring 2012 release in Japan, North America and Europe.
Kingdom Hearts III
: In an interview with Tetsuya Nomura, he stated that his team is currently too busy with other projects such as Final Fantasy Versus XIII
to work on Kingdom Hearts III. He also stated that his team was doing research concerning the high-definition graphics of the game, and depending on the technical requirements of the next generation consoles, Kingdom Hearts III may see a release on existing platforms. Story-wise, Nomura has revealed that it will pick up directly after the events of Dream Drop Distance and serve as the final chapter of the Xehanort Saga.
; the titles were also re-released in Japan with new content. Both Square Enix 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. Two of the games, Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, had a soundtrack released to coincide with the video games. These were followed by a nine CD complete set which featured both soundtracks and unreleased tracks. Kingdom Hearts has been published as a trading card game by the Tomy
corporation of Japan
. An English version of the game was released in November 2007 by Fantasy Flight Games
. The video games have also been adapted into a manga and novel series.
Like the Final Fantasy games, a series of Ultimania
books were 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. 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.
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 Shōnen Gangan
and eventually released in tankōbon
format. The first tankōbon was released in Japan in October 2003. The manga was released in the USA by Tokyopop
two years later in October 2005. 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 divided into four volumes, while the second series, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, was divided into two volumes. The third series, Kingdom Hearts II, has had five volumes published (the first two of which only are available translated in English) and is currently on hiatus. There is also a Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days novel being serialized. The first volume was released in Japan in December 2006 and was released in the US on July 3, 2007.
A novel series, written by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano
, has been released. Like the manga series, it is divided into separate series based on the games. Kingdom Hearts is divided into two volumes; "The First Door" and "Darkness Within". Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is divided into two volumes. Kingdom Hearts II is divided into four volumes; "Roxas—Seven Days", "The Destruction of Hollow Bastion", "Tears of Nobody", and "Anthem—Meet Again/Axel Last Stand".
, who are controlling the Heartless. 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, finding themselves heading towards a mysterious fortress called Castle Oblivion. Upon entering the fortress, they begin to lose their memories. The three encounter a group of dark hooded villains, part of a mysterious Organization
. In the castle, Sora learns his memories have been manipulated by a girl named Naminé who was being held captive by the Organization. To allow them to regain their memories, Naminé puts Sora, Donald, and Goofy to sleep for a year; in the process, they must lose the memories of their experience in Castle Oblivion. At the same time, Riku finds himself in the basement of the castle and begins traveling to the first floor with the aid of King Mickey. Riku fights both the Organization's members and the darkness in his heart, learning to accept his dual nature between light and dark. Allying himself with the mysterious DiZ, Riku aids him in keeping Sora and Naminé safe until the former is awoken. However, a snag in the plan over the year forces Riku to go after a young man named Roxas, the thirteenth member of the Organization, to enable Sora's reawakening.
Seven days after Riku's success, Sora, Donald, and Goofy awake in Twilight Town, with no memory of their time at Castle Oblivion, and resume 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 find a new base of operations before resuming her quest for power and revenge on Sora. Sora once again travels to many Disney-themed worlds and resolves the troubles caused by not just Maleficent and Pete, but also Organization XIII whose members refer to him as Roxas. Meanwhile, Kairi is kidnapped by the Organization. They meet King Mickey, who reveals that the "Ansem" Sora defeated was actually the Heartless of Xehanort, a student of the real Ansem the Wise. Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII, reveals himself to be the Nobody of Xehanort. The three arrive at the headquarters of Organization XIII, with Kingdom Hearts looming overhead, and Sora is finally reunited with Kairi and Riku while fighting the remaining Organization members. Roxas is also revealed as Sora's Nobody, whom Riku had captured by willingly assuming the false Ansem's form, in order that Roxas may be integrated back into Sora. As these events are unfolding, Mickey encounters DiZ, revealed as Ansem the Wise, who is arming a device that would digitize all of Kingdom Hearts' power. However, it backfires, with the machine to exploding, with Ansem consumed in the blast and Riku restored to his original state. At the top of the castle, Sora and his friends battle Xemnas, who uses the remnants of Kingdom Hearts to fight them. Refusing to accept defeat, Xemnas separates Sora and Riku from the others to face them in a final battle that ends with his demise. Though initially trapped in Xemnas' realm, Sora and Riku are able to return to their world after reading a letter from Kairi that reveals the door to light.
However, sometime later, Sora, Riku and Kairi receive a message from King Mickey that was not revealed in Kingdom Hearts II
, the contents of which detail his findings in Kingdom Hearts coded: it turns out Sora is destined as the "Key that Connects Everything" to save three Keyblade users who played role in both his life and his friends' lives in the past: Terra (whose body was taken by the rogue Keyblade Master, Master Xehanort, and became the young incarnation of Xehanort that Sora faced in the forms of "Ansem" and Xemnas), Ventus (whose heart, damaged following a victorious struggle against his dark half, Vanitas, ended up within Sora while his comatose body was placed within the Chamber of Wakening in Castle Oblivion), and Aqua (who ended up trapped in the realm of darkness after sacrificing herself to save Terra's body, now without access to her Keyblade and now instead uses the Keyblade of Master Eraqus, and is with Ansem the Wise after the blast from the Kingdom Hearts Encoder sent him there). Sora prepares to set out on a new journey to find and rescue his predecessors. Around the same time, King Mickey himself receives the shocking news from Yen Sid that the destruction of "Ansem" and Xemnas has led to Xehanort's restoration, and not just "a single one of him". Learning of this, Yen Sid orders Mickey to summon Sora and Riku to him to have them undergo the test of the "Mark of Mastery" in preparations for their imminent clash with Master Xehanort.
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 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. While visiting certain worlds, Donald or Goofy can be swapped out for that world's protagonist (e.g. Jack Skellington
while visiting Halloween Town or Aladdin while visiting Agrabah) In the first and third game, their behavior can be altered to suit different combat objectives. The games feature real-time combat that incorporates physical attacks, magic, and summonings, though each game handles battles differently.
Gummi Ships are another common element of the series, though they are not featured in the second title. 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 modified in the third title. 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 first three games, the journal is kept by Jiminy Cricket
, who was appointed by Queen Minnie
as the royal chronicler, while in Birth by Sleep and 358/2 Days, a journal/report is personally written and kept by each main character.
The games are influenced by their parent franchise, Final Fantasy
, 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 culminates in a "level-up", where the characters grow stronger and gain access to new abilities. The amount of experience is shared with all party members and each character grows stronger as experience is gained.
. Kingdom Hearts marked his transition into a directorial 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 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.
Nomura placed a 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. After Kingdom Hearts Final Mix was completed, development for Kingdom Hearts II began. 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; Mickey's inclusion in the first game was restricted to a very small role. 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. 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 handheld system.
The inclusion of specific Final Fantasy characters was based on the opinions of both fans and staff. Another criterion for inclusion was whether the staff felt the characters would fit into the storyline and in the Kingdom Hearts universe. Initially, Nomura was hesitant to use characters he did not design, because he was unfamiliar with the backstory of such characters. For Kingdom Hearts II, he changed his mind after receiving pressure from his staff. 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.
A 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. 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. 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.
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 was also re-released in Japan with additional content and served as canonical
updates to the series. 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 and Kingdom Hearts coded were re-released as Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded and released on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS, respectively, with 3D graphics, voice overs during some cutscenes, and new game content.
. 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. The orchestral music was performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
. 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.
While the themes for some of the Disney-based worlds are taken directly from their Disney film counterparts, 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 a modified version of Nobuo Uematsu
's "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII
.
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, and "Passion
", from Kingdom Hearts II. 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. 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.
as Sora, Risa Uchida
as Kairi, and Mamoru Miyano
as Riku. The third game introduced Kōki Uchiyama
as Roxas, Iku Nakahara as Naminé, and Genzō Wakayama
as DiZ. Other notable voice actors included Kōichi Yamadera
, Hideo Ishikawa
, Maaya Sakamoto
, Takahiro Sakurai
, Akio Ōtsuka, Takashi Aoyagi
, Yū Shimaka
and Shinichirō Miki
.
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 (Bret Iwan
now voices Mickey after Allwine died of diabetes on May 18, 2009, with his final performance being for the series' DS game), Donald Duck, and Goofy. 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, Hayden Panettiere
as Kairi, and Billy Zane
as Ansem. The third game, Kingdom Hearts II, saw the return of the main character voice actors (except for Billy Zane, who left for unknown reasons and was subsequently replaced by Richard Epcar
) and added Jesse McCartney
as Roxas, Brittany Snow as Naminé, and Christopher Lee
as DiZ. Other notable actors included Sean Astin
, Steve Burton, Will Friedle
, Mandy Moore
, Lance Bass
, Ming-Na
, David Boreanaz
, James Woods
, and most recently, Jason Dohring
, Willa Holland
, Leonard Nimoy
, and Mark Hamill
.
s, 3.0 million copies in Japan, and 5.6 million copies in North America. The three main games in the series all met with positive sales at the time of their releases. In first two months since the North American release of Kingdom Hearts, it was one of the top three highest-selling video games. Chain of Memories sold 104,000 units in 48 hours in Japan, a record for a Game Boy Advance title at the time. Its positive debut sales placed it in the top spot of sales charts in Japan. 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. Within a week of the Kingdom Hearts II release in Japan, it shipped 1 million copies, selling almost 730,000 copies. 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. In the month after its release in North America, Kingdom Hearts II sold an estimated 1 million copies.
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 gaming magazine Famitsu
, known for its extremely harsh grading. All six games have been praised for their visuals. Game Informer
considers the series the eleventh "must-play PlayStation 2" series. The individual 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. IGN
named Kingdom Hearts "Best Art Style/Direction" in their 2003 list of "Best Looking Games on PS2". G4
awarded it "Best Story" at their 2003 G-Phoria
awards show. Electronic Gaming Monthly
awarded Kingdom Hearts II "Best Sequel" of 2006. It tied with Resident Evil 4
as Famitsu's Game of the Year 2005. The manga series has also been well received. Several of the manga volumes were listed on USA Today
s "Top 150 best sellers". The highest ranked volume was Kingdom Hearts volume 4 at #73. Every volume listed stayed on the list for at least two weeks; Kingdom Hearts volume 4 stayed the longest at four weeks.
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
. It is a collaboration between Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios, and is under the direction of Tetsuya Nomura
Tetsuya Nomura
is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...
, a longtime Square Enix character designer. Kingdom Hearts is a crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
of various Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
settings based in a universe
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
made specifically for the series. The series features an all-star voice cast
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
, which includes many of the Disney characters' official voice actors and well-known celebrities such as Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
, David Gallagher
David Gallagher
David Lee Gallagher is an American actor. Beginning a prolific career as a child actor and model at the age of two, Gallagher is a five-time Young Artist Award nominee and Teen Choice Award winner, best known for his role as Simon Camden on the long running television series 7th Heaven, as well as...
, Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
, Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
, Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
, Willa Holland
Willa Holland
Willa Joanna Chance Holland is an American actress and fashion model. She is best known for her role as Kaitlin Cooper, Marissa Cooper's devious younger sister, on the television series The O.C.. She also appeared as Agnes Andrews on The CW series Gossip Girl...
, Jason Dohring
Jason Dohring
Jason William Dohring is an American actor who is best known for his role as Logan Echolls on the 2004 television show Veronica Mars and for his role as Josef Kostan on the 2007 series Moonlight.-Personal life:...
, Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
, and Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
. Characters from Square Enix's Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series make appearances and interact with the player and the Disney characters. The series centers around the main character Sora's
Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Square Enix's best-selling Kingdom Hearts series. Introduced in the series' first game in 2002, Sora is a cheerful teenager who originates from Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since early childhood. When they plan to...
search for his friends and his encounters with Disney and Final Fantasy characters on their worlds, though the most recent games have centered around other characters central to the series' storyline.
The series currently consists of seven games including remakes 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 title has seen varying levels of success. As of August 2010, the Kingdom Hearts series has shipped over 14 million copies worldwide, with 2 million copies in PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s, 3.0 million copies in Japan, and 5.6 million copies in North America. A wide variety of related merchandise has been released along with the games, including soundtracks, figurines, companion books, and an ongoing manga series.
Games
The series consists of ten games—two main games developed by Square Enix, an enhanced version of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, a PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
remake of the GBA game Chain of Memories titled Re:Chain of Memories and a V CAST
V CAST
V CAST is a 3G EV-DO network created by Verizon Wireless to deliver audio, video, and entertainment content. The typical download speed is between 800 kilobits and 1.4 megabits per second with burst speeds of up to 3.1 megabits per second...
mobile phone game developed by Superscape
Superscape
Superscape was a publisher of mobile games. The company has developed several mobile games, licensed from such companies as 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, Sony Pictures Mobile and Global Wireless entertainment...
. Another mobile phone game was developed in-house by Square Enix while the last game, created for Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, was developed in cooperation with h.a.n.d.
H.a.n.d.
is a Japanese video game developer founded in 1992. The company originally started as a service selling Macintosh hardware and software to universities before the Mac platform was widely-known. When competition in the field increased, h.a.n.d...
. The second mobile phone game has only been released in Japan although there are plans to release it in other territories. The three main games were released in chronological order, with each new title following the events of the previous title, while the V CAST game was developed independently from the main series. The latest releases are Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days for Nintendo DS Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep for the PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, along with a Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
remake of Coded titled Re:Coded.
Current titles
Kingdom Hearts is the first game in the series, and was released on March 28, 2002 This was Nomura's first time in a directorial position. Kingdom Hearts introduced the main characters for the series and established the plot's framework involving hearts and the dark beings known as the Heartless. It also established the role of Disney characters in the series, with character cameos from the Final Fantasy series. Kingdom Hearts was released in North America on September 17, 2002, and featured additional content that was not in the original Japanese version. The game was later re-released exclusively in Japan as Kingdom Hearts Final Mix on December 26, 2002. Final Mix includes the content from the North American release and additional enemies, cut scenes, and weapons.Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and Japanese studio Jupiter and published by Square Enix in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. The game serves as an intermediary between the two larger-scale PlayStation 2 games in the Kingdom Hearts series. It was one of the first GBA games to...
is the second game in the series. It was released on the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
in Japan on November 11, 2004 and in North America on December 7, 2004. Chain of Memories was touted as a bridge between the two PlayStation 2 titles, introducing and previewing plot elements that would be explored in the next game. The gameplay is 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 was released as a standalone title in North America on December 2, 2008.
Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
is the third game in the series, and is set one year after Chain of Memories. It was released in Japan on December 22, 2005,in Europe on September 29, 2006 and North America on March 28, 2006 for the PlayStation 2. The game further explored the "heart" concept by involving the Nobodies and "bodies". The gameplay is similar to that of the first Kingdom Hearts game, with the addition of more options to attack enemies and the Reaction Command, which utilized the triangle button to perform context-sensitive actions in battle and interaction with characters and the environment. 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
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
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.
Kingdom Hearts coded
Kingdom Hearts coded
is an episodic puzzle video game developed and published by Square Enix, in collaboration with the Walt Disney Internet Group for mobile phones. It is the fourth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series and is set after the events of the Kingdom Hearts II. The story focuses on a message written in...
is the fourth installment in the series. It is for Mobile Phones and was released in episodes with the first being released in Japan on November 18, 2008. The game picks up after the events of Kingdom Hearts II, focusing this time on King Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Jiminy Cricket, who discover a mysterious sentence in Jiminy's journal and subsequently digitize the journal's contents to find the one responsible. The game was released in episodes and as of January 2010, all eight episodes have been released. Though the game is a Japan-exclusive, Square Enix immediately stated that it had plans for releases in other territories, and Phil Snyder
Phil Snyder
Phil Snyder is an American actor, writer, producer, and director. He was born in Ellensburg, Washington, the sixth child in a family of ten children. He began to demonstrate his love for, and natural skills in entertainment, especially impressions, at an early age. Snyder moved to Los Angeles,...
, the new voice actor for Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
since Eddie Carroll
Eddie Carroll
Eddie Carroll was a Canadian voice actor who moved to Hollywood in the 1950s to become an actor. He took over the role of Jiminy Cricket in 1973 after the death of original voice Cliff Edwards in 1971.-Filmography:...
's passing, partially confirmed this by stating that he would be voicing Jiminy for a game titled Kingdom Hearts Re:coded which was presented in a trailer at E3 2010, and has been released on the Nintendo DS platform, making it the second Kingdom Hearts game to be released on that console (since it was released after 358/2 Days). Re:coded was released in Japan on October 7, 2010, January 11, 2011 in North America, and on January 14, 2011 in Europe.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
is an action roleplaying game developed and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS with assistance from h.a.n.d. It is the fifth installment in the best-selling Kingdom Hearts series, and serves as an interquel beginning near the end of the first game, Kingdom Hearts, and covering the period...
is the fifth title in the series for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
and was released in Japan on May 30, 2009, and in North America on September 29, 2009. It is set primarily between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, revolving around Roxas' time in Organization XIII
Organization XIII
is a fictional group of characters featured in Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios' Kingdom Hearts video game series. The group comprises thirteen beings without hearts called NobodiesIn the video game series' setting, beings comprise a body, heart and soul, known as a 'Whole'. When a heart...
and his motives for ultimately leaving the Organization to pursue the answers he seeks. It was first announced at the Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
2007 with cooperative multiplayer on display, in addition to the traditional use of AI
Game artificial intelligence
Game artificial intelligence refers to techniques used in computer and video games to produce the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of non-player characters . The techniques used typically draw upon existing methods from the field of artificial intelligence...
-controlled partners. It is the first game in the series to feature cooperative multiplayer with the most playable characters ever featured in a Kingdom Hearts title to date, at 19.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix and Disney for the PlayStation Portable, serving as the sixth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series. The game was released on UMD in Japan on January 9, 2010, in North America on September 7, 2010 and in Europe on September...
is the sixth title in the series, released for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
in Japan on January 9, 2010, and in North America on September 7, 2010. The game is set ten years before the events of the original Kingdom Hearts. The game consists of three scenarios with each focusing on one of the three protagonists: Terra, Ventus and Aqua who are apprentices of Master Eraqus. They set out in search of the missing Master Xehanort and protect the worlds by defeating creatures called the Unversed, while each travel their separate ways and encounter their own agenda along the way with the origins of Sora and Xehanort revealed. The game was re-released exclusively to Japan under the name Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix on January 20, 2011, with the content from the English versions as well as brand new features, such as a playable Secret Episode.
Mobile
A Kingdom Hearts game was developed exclusively for V CASTV CAST
V CAST is a 3G EV-DO network created by Verizon Wireless to deliver audio, video, and entertainment content. The typical download speed is between 800 kilobits and 1.4 megabits per second with burst speeds of up to 3.1 megabits per second...
, Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
's broadband service, and was released on October 1, 2004 in Japan and on February 4, 2005 in the United States. It was one of the launch games for the V CAST services. The game, developed by Superscape
Superscape
Superscape was a publisher of mobile games. The company has developed several mobile games, licensed from such companies as 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, Sony Pictures Mobile and Global Wireless entertainment...
and published by Disney Mobile
Disney Mobile
Disney Mobile is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator in the United States which launched in June 2006 and ceased operations on December 31, 2007, but now it's a Mobile Virtual Network Operator in Japan, re-opening on March 1, 2008. In the US, it operated on Sprint's CDMA network. Disney Mobile was...
with no involvement from Square Enix, features gameplay akin to the original Kingdom Hearts game, modified for the input method of mobile phones. The game's storyline features Sora struggling to free himself from a nightmare induced by Maleficent's magic.
Kingdom Hearts Mobile
Kingdom Hearts Mobile
is an online community-based social gaming networking service developed by Square Enix for the NTT DoCoMo. It was officially launched on December 15, 2008 in Japan in conjunction with the video game Kingdom Hearts coded for mobile phones. Unlike Kingdom Hearts coded, Mobile is not part of the main...
is a Kingdom Hearts themed online game in which players can play mini-games together. Unlike Kingdom Hearts for the V Cast and Kingdom Hearts coded
Kingdom Hearts coded
is an episodic puzzle video game developed and published by Square Enix, in collaboration with the Walt Disney Internet Group for mobile phones. It is the fourth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series and is set after the events of the Kingdom Hearts II. The story focuses on a message written in...
, Kingdom Hearts Mobile does not have a storyline and focuses more on socializing and mini-games as it is more of a service rather than a game. The service is in conjunction with Kingdom Hearts coded
Kingdom Hearts coded
is an episodic puzzle video game developed and published by Square Enix, in collaboration with the Walt Disney Internet Group for mobile phones. It is the fourth installment in the Kingdom Hearts series and is set after the events of the Kingdom Hearts II. The story focuses on a message written in...
which unlocks new costumes for avatars in Kingdom Hearts Mobile whenever the player completes an episode of Kingdom Hearts coded. New Kingdom Hearts related merchandise such as wallpapers, ringtones, graphics and other items can be purchased and downloaded through the service for mobile phones.
Future titles
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for the Nintendo 3DSNintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
will be the seventh installment of the series and the next major installment after Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep. It was previously known as Kingdom Hearts 3D until the official title was revealed. The game will focus on Sora
Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Square Enix's best-selling Kingdom Hearts series. Introduced in the series' first game in 2002, Sora is a cheerful teenager who originates from Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since early childhood. When they plan to...
and Riku Nomura has previously stated that the game would be connected to 358/2 Days, coded and Birth by Sleep, and would be more of a main game than a spin-off or sidestory. Chronologically, the game picks up after Kingdom Hearts coded, and it is set for a Spring 2012 release in Japan, North America and Europe.
Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts III is an upcoming video game of unknown release and platform. It has been the subject of much rumour and speculation, though the project has yet to begin development, due to series producer Tetsuya Nomura's focus on Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and the upcoming Final...
: In an interview with Tetsuya Nomura, he stated that his team is currently too busy with other projects such as Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Final Fantasy Versus XIII
is an upcoming action role-playing game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and currently being developed by the company's 1st Production Department. Alongside Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Final Fantasy Type-0, the game is a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final...
to work on Kingdom Hearts III. He also stated that his team was doing research concerning the high-definition graphics of the game, and depending on the technical requirements of the next generation consoles, Kingdom Hearts III may see a release on existing platforms. Story-wise, Nomura has revealed that it will pick up directly after the events of Dream Drop Distance and serve as the final chapter of the Xehanort Saga.
Other media
There are multiple versions of each of the main Kingdom Hearts games. They each had a release in Japan, North America, and the PAL regionPAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
; the titles were also re-released in Japan with new content. Both Square Enix 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. Two of the games, Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, had a soundtrack released to coincide with the video games. These were followed by a nine CD complete set which featured both soundtracks and unreleased tracks. Kingdom Hearts has been published as a trading card game by the Tomy
TOMY
is a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
corporation of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. An English version of the game was released in November 2007 by Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games
Fantasy Flight Games is a Roseville, Minnesota-based game company that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games. Fantasy Flight Publishing was founded in 1995 by its CEO, Christian T. Petersen. Since the release of its first game product in 1997, the company has been doing...
. The video games have also been adapted into a manga and novel series.
Like the Final Fantasy games, a series of Ultimania
Ultimania
This is a list of companion books relating to games developed and published by Square Enix. Starting with Final Fantasy III, Square began publishing guide books for its games which traditionally include additional content such as developer interviews and expanded plot and setting information...
books were 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. 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.
Printed adaptations
A mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
based on the Kingdom Hearts storyline has been released in Japan and the United States. The story and art are done by Shiro Amano
Shiro Amano
is a Japanese manga artist who has worked on several projects, including his adaptation on the popular Kingdom Hearts series.-Manga:* Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories* Kingdom Hearts II* Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days* Legend of Mana...
, who is also known for his manga adaptation of the Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana, known in Japan as , is the fourth game in the Mana series. The game was released for the PlayStation in Japan on July 15, 1999 and in North America on June 7, 2000, with a delayed release in Canada...
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 Shōnen Gangan
Monthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...
and eventually released in tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
format. The first tankōbon was released in Japan in October 2003. The manga was released in the USA by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
two years later in October 2005. 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 divided into four volumes, while the second series, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, was divided into two volumes. The third series, Kingdom Hearts II, has had five volumes published (the first two of which only are available translated in English) and is currently on hiatus. There is also a Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days novel being serialized. The first volume was released in Japan in December 2006 and was released in the US on July 3, 2007.
A novel series, written by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano
Shiro Amano
is a Japanese manga artist who has worked on several projects, including his adaptation on the popular Kingdom Hearts series.-Manga:* Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories* Kingdom Hearts II* Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days* Legend of Mana...
, has been released. Like the manga series, it is divided into separate series based on the games. Kingdom Hearts is divided into two volumes; "The First Door" and "Darkness Within". Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is divided into two volumes. Kingdom Hearts II is divided into four volumes; "Roxas—Seven Days", "The Destruction of Hollow Bastion", "Tears of Nobody", and "Anthem—Meet Again/Axel Last Stand".
Disney and Final Fantasy characters
Kingdom Hearts features a mixture of familiar Disney and Final Fantasy characters, as well as several new characters that functioned as opponents or allies created by Nomura. 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, his actions in these worlds closely follow the storylines of their respective Disney films, and the player can sometimes choose to have one of the world's characters accompany him. The main characters try not to interfere with the affairs of other worlds, as it could negatively affect the universe's order. Moogles, small creatures from the Final Fantasy series, are another common element in the games. They provide the player with a synthesis shop in order to create and purchase items used in the game.Story
The first game shows how Sora is separated from his friends when their world, Destiny Islands, is invaded by creatures known as the Heartless. During the invasion, Sora obtains a weapon to be able to fight off the Heartless, known as the Keyblade. Soon after finding himself in Traverse Town, Sora meets Donald Duck and Goofy, two emissaries from Disney Castle sent by King Mickey to find the wielder of the mysterious weapon, the Keyblade. 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 MaleficentMaleficent
Maleficent is a fictional character and the main antagonist in Walt Disney's 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. She is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" who, after not being invited to the baby's christening, curses the infant Princess Aurora to "prick her finger on the spindle of a...
, who are controlling the Heartless. 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, finding themselves heading towards a mysterious fortress called Castle Oblivion. Upon entering the fortress, they begin to lose their memories. The three encounter a group of dark hooded villains, part of a mysterious Organization
Organization XIII
is a fictional group of characters featured in Square Enix and Disney Interactive Studios' Kingdom Hearts video game series. The group comprises thirteen beings without hearts called NobodiesIn the video game series' setting, beings comprise a body, heart and soul, known as a 'Whole'. When a heart...
. In the castle, Sora learns his memories have been manipulated by a girl named Naminé who was being held captive by the Organization. To allow them to regain their memories, Naminé puts Sora, Donald, and Goofy to sleep for a year; in the process, they must lose the memories of their experience in Castle Oblivion. At the same time, Riku finds himself in the basement of the castle and begins traveling to the first floor with the aid of King Mickey. Riku fights both the Organization's members and the darkness in his heart, learning to accept his dual nature between light and dark. Allying himself with the mysterious DiZ, Riku aids him in keeping Sora and Naminé safe until the former is awoken. However, a snag in the plan over the year forces Riku to go after a young man named Roxas, the thirteenth member of the Organization, to enable Sora's reawakening.
Seven days after Riku's success, Sora, Donald, and Goofy awake in Twilight Town, with no memory of their time at Castle Oblivion, and resume 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 find a new base of operations before resuming her quest for power and revenge on Sora. Sora once again travels to many Disney-themed worlds and resolves the troubles caused by not just Maleficent and Pete, but also Organization XIII whose members refer to him as Roxas. Meanwhile, Kairi is kidnapped by the Organization. They meet King Mickey, who reveals that the "Ansem" Sora defeated was actually the Heartless of Xehanort, a student of the real Ansem the Wise. Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII, reveals himself to be the Nobody of Xehanort. The three arrive at the headquarters of Organization XIII, with Kingdom Hearts looming overhead, and Sora is finally reunited with Kairi and Riku while fighting the remaining Organization members. Roxas is also revealed as Sora's Nobody, whom Riku had captured by willingly assuming the false Ansem's form, in order that Roxas may be integrated back into Sora. As these events are unfolding, Mickey encounters DiZ, revealed as Ansem the Wise, who is arming a device that would digitize all of Kingdom Hearts' power. However, it backfires, with the machine to exploding, with Ansem consumed in the blast and Riku restored to his original state. At the top of the castle, Sora and his friends battle Xemnas, who uses the remnants of Kingdom Hearts to fight them. Refusing to accept defeat, Xemnas separates Sora and Riku from the others to face them in a final battle that ends with his demise. Though initially trapped in Xemnas' realm, Sora and Riku are able to return to their world after reading a letter from Kairi that reveals the door to light.
However, sometime later, Sora, Riku and Kairi receive a message from King Mickey that was not revealed in Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
, the contents of which detail his findings in Kingdom Hearts coded: it turns out Sora is destined as the "Key that Connects Everything" to save three Keyblade users who played role in both his life and his friends' lives in the past: Terra (whose body was taken by the rogue Keyblade Master, Master Xehanort, and became the young incarnation of Xehanort that Sora faced in the forms of "Ansem" and Xemnas), Ventus (whose heart, damaged following a victorious struggle against his dark half, Vanitas, ended up within Sora while his comatose body was placed within the Chamber of Wakening in Castle Oblivion), and Aqua (who ended up trapped in the realm of darkness after sacrificing herself to save Terra's body, now without access to her Keyblade and now instead uses the Keyblade of Master Eraqus, and is with Ansem the Wise after the blast from the Kingdom Hearts Encoder sent him there). Sora prepares to set out on a new journey to find and rescue his predecessors. Around the same time, King Mickey himself receives the shocking news from Yen Sid that the destruction of "Ansem" and Xemnas has led to Xehanort's restoration, and not just "a single one of him". Learning of this, Yen Sid orders Mickey to summon Sora and Riku to him to have them undergo the test of the "Mark of Mastery" in preparations for their imminent clash with Master Xehanort.
Gameplay
The Kingdom Hearts series games contain elements from both actionAction game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
and role-playing games
Role-playing game (video games)
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
. 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
Quest (gaming)
A quest in role-playing video games — including massively multiplayer online role-playing games and their predecessors, MUDs — is a task that a player-controlled character or group of characters may complete in order to gain a reward...
available that provide bonus benefits to the characters. The player primarily controls the principal protagonist of the series, Sora. Sora is usually accompanied by Donald Duck
Donald Duck
Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
and Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
, who are non-playable characters that aid Sora in battle. While visiting certain worlds, Donald or Goofy can be swapped out for that world's protagonist (e.g. Jack Skellington
Jack Skellington
Jack Skellington is the protagonist in the 1993 Disney film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack is the "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town and lives in a fantasy world based solely on the Halloween holiday...
while visiting Halloween Town or Aladdin while visiting Agrabah) In the first and third game, their behavior can be altered to suit different combat objectives. The games feature real-time combat that incorporates physical attacks, magic, and summonings, though each game handles battles differently.
Gummi Ships are another common element of the series, though they are not featured in the second title. 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 modified in the third title. 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 first three games, the journal is kept by Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
, who was appointed by Queen Minnie
Minnie Mouse
Minerva "Minnie" Mouse is an animated character created by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney. The comic strip story "The Gleam" by Merrill De Maris and Floyd Gottfredson first gave her full name as Minerva Mouse. Minnie has since been a recurring alias for her. Minnie is currently voiced by actress Russi...
as the royal chronicler, while in Birth by Sleep and 358/2 Days, a journal/report is personally written and kept by each main character.
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
, and carry its gameplay elements over into their own action-based, hack-and-slash
Hack and slash
Hack and slash or hack and slay, abbreviated H&S or HnS, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat. "Hack and slash" was originally used to describe an aspect of pen-and-paper role-playing games , carrying over from there to MUDs, MMORPGs, and video games in general...
system. Like many traditional role-playing games, Kingdom Hearts features an experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
system which determines character development. As enemies are defeated, the player gains experience which culminates in a "level-up", where the characters grow stronger and gain access to new abilities. The amount of experience is shared with all party members and each character grows stronger as experience is gained.
History
The first Kingdom Hearts game began development in February 2000. It was directed by Tetsuya Nomura and produced by Shinji Hashimoto, who had conceived the idea when he met with a Disney executive by chance in an elevator; Square and Disney had previously worked in the same building in Japan. 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 VIIFinal Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
. Kingdom Hearts marked his transition into a directorial position, though he also served as the game's character designer. Scenarios were provided by Kazushige Nojima
Kazushige Nojima
is a Japanese game scenario writer and is the founder of Stellavista Ltd.. He is best known for writing parts of Square Enix's Final Fantasy video game series—namely Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2—and the Kingdom Hearts series...
who was a scenario writer for Square from Final Fantasy VII until he left 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
Hironobu Sakaguchi
is a Japanese game designer, game director and game producer. He is world famous as the creator of the Final Fantasy series, and has had a long career in gaming with over 100 million units of video games sold worldwide...
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.
Nomura placed a 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. After Kingdom Hearts Final Mix was completed, development for Kingdom Hearts II began. 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; Mickey's inclusion in the first game was restricted to a very small role. 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. Nomura was hesitant about releasing a game on the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
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 handheld system.
Creation and design
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. 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. He also felt managing and keeping multiple worlds was problematic. 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.The inclusion of specific Final Fantasy characters was based on the opinions of both fans and staff. Another criterion for inclusion was whether the staff felt the characters would fit into the storyline and in the Kingdom Hearts universe. Initially, Nomura was hesitant to use characters he did not design, because he was unfamiliar with the backstory of such characters. For Kingdom Hearts II, he changed his mind after receiving pressure from his staff. 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.
Promotion
The first Kingdom Hearts was announced at E3 in May 2001. 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. 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 the official voice actors from their respective Disney films.A 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. It was not until Kingdom Hearts II was announced, along with Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, at the Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
in September 2003 that rumors were confirmed. 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.
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 was also re-released in Japan with additional content and served as canonical
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
updates to the series. 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 and Kingdom Hearts coded were re-released as Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded and released on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS, respectively, with 3D graphics, voice overs during some cutscenes, and new game content.
Musical score
The music for the video game series was primarily composed by Yoko ShimomuraYoko Shimomura
is a Japanese video game composer. She has been described as "the most famous female video game music composer in the world". She has worked in the video game music industry since graduating from Osaka College of Music in 1988...
. Kaoru Wada
Kaoru Wada
is a Japanese music composer, music arranger, conductor, music orchestrator and pianist from Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. He studied at the Tokyo College of Music. He is popularly known for his work on anime soundtracks. He became known to the West through his work on 3x3 Eyes and Battle...
works as the arranger for orchestral music in the Kingdom Hearts series, including orchestral renditions of the main vocal themes and the ending themes. The orchestral music was performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
The claims to be the oldest classical orchestra in Japan, having been founded in Nagoya in 1911. It moved to Tokyo in 1938 and has some 166 members as of 2005....
. 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.
While the themes for some of the Disney-based worlds are taken directly from their Disney film counterparts, 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 a modified version of Nobuo Uematsu
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
's "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
.
The main theme songs for the Kingdom Hearts games were written and performed by Japanese pop star, Utada Hikaru
Utada Hikaru
, known by her stage name Utada in America and Europe, is a Japanese-American singer, song writer, arranger, and producer. Since the release of her Japanese debut album First Love, which went on to become the best-selling album in Oricon history, Utada has had three of her Japanese studio albums...
. The two main themes are "Hikari
Hikari (song)
is Hikaru Utada's 10th Japanese-language single , and is also her 3rd single on the Deep River album. Its release date was March 20, 2002...
", from Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories, and "Passion
Passion (single)
"Passion" is a song by Hikaru Utada, released in Japan as a single on December 14, 2005. It was used as the theme song for the Disney Interactive Studios/Square Enix game Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days in Japan, while an English version also sung by Utada, titled "Sanctuary", was...
", from Kingdom Hearts II. 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. 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
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
charts, "Hikari" reached #1 in 2002 and "Passion" reached #4 in 2005.
Voice cast
The Kingdom Hearts games featured well-known voice actors for the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version featured Miyu IrinoMiyu Irino
is a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo.He is a good friend of voice actor Mamoru Miyano. He is nicknamed "Miyu-Miyu" by CLAMP members....
as Sora, Risa Uchida
Risa Uchida
is a Japanese voice actress.She was the Japanese voice of Kairi and Xion from the Kingdom Hearts series of games developed by Disney and Square Enix...
as Kairi, and Mamoru Miyano
Mamoru Miyano
is a Japanese voice actor, actor, and singer from Saitama. He is best known for his roles on Ouran High School Host Club, Death Note, Mobile Suit Gundam 00, and Kōtetsu Sangokushi. At the 2007 Seiyu Awards he was nominated for two awards for his role as Light Yagami in Death Note, and in 2008, he...
as Riku. The third game introduced Kōki Uchiyama
Koki Uchiyama
is a Japanese actor and seiyū from Saitama Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Gekidan Himawari.Uchiyama mainly voices over young males, such as in the Kingdom Hearts series, and rarely makes public appearances in the media as a seiyū...
as Roxas, Iku Nakahara as Naminé, and Genzō Wakayama
Genzo Wakayama
is a Japanese seiyū and disc jockey from Ōdomari, Karafuto Prefecture. He moved to Sapporo, Hokkaido as a youth and graduated from Sapporo South High School. He is currently freelance....
as DiZ. Other notable voice actors included Kōichi Yamadera
Koichi Yamadera
is a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...
, Hideo Ishikawa
Hideo Ishikawa
is a male Japanese voice actor born in Hyōgo, Japan. His nicknames are "Hide" and "Hide-chan" and he works for Aoni Production. He is married and has two children....
, Maaya Sakamoto
Maaya Sakamoto
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actress, and voice actress. She made her debut as a voice actress in 1992 as the voice of Chifuru in the anime series Little Twins, but is more well known for her role as Hitomi Kanzaki in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne...
, Takahiro Sakurai
Takahiro Sakurai
is a voice actor who was born in Aichi. He is a member of 81 Produce; his height is .Many of his roles are handsome men. However, he has also voiced reluctant heroes as well as the occasional villain...
, Akio Ōtsuka, Takashi Aoyagi
Takashi Aoyagi
in Chiba is a Japanese scholar of Japanese literature and college professor from Chiba, Chiba. He is the Japanese voice actor for the Disney character Mickey Mouse.- Biography :...
, Yū Shimaka
Yu Shimaka
is a Japanese voice actor . He was born on May 6, 1949 in the Nagano Prefecture. He was formerly affiliated with Production Baobab, and is now affiliated with Production Aigumi.-Television animation:*Animaniacs...
and Shinichirō Miki
Shinichiro Miki
is a Japanese voice actor. He is a member of 81 Produce.Miki is most known for the roles of Kojiro , Takumi Fujiwara , Kisuke Urahara , Akira Yuki , Lockon Stratos , and Roy Mustang .According to the Anime News Network, as of Spring 2007, Miki is...
.
The English release of the Kingdom Hearts games featured an all-star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
voice cast which included many of the Disney characters' official voice actors. Wayne Allwine
Wayne Allwine
Wayne Anthony Allwine was an American voice actor, a sound effects editor and foley artist for The Walt Disney Company. He was born in Glendale, California. He was the voice of Mickey Mouse for 32 years, narrowly the longest to date, and was married to voice actress Russi Taylor.Allwine was the...
, Tony Anselmo
Tony Anselmo
Tony Anselmo is an Animator, cartoon voice actor and, since 1985, the voice of Donald Duck. Anselmo was trained by the original voice of Donald, Clarence Nash. Anselmo has also shared voice-over duties for Donald's nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie since 1999. He voiced the nephews on Mickey...
, and Bill Farmer
Bill Farmer
William "Bill" Farmer is an American voice actor and comedian, best known for being the current voice of the Disney characters Goofy, Pluto and Horace Horsecollar.-Early life:...
voiced Mickey Mouse (Bret Iwan
Bret Iwan
Bret Iwan is an American voice actor and an illustrator and the fourth and current voice of Mickey Mouse, a role he assumed from the late Wayne Allwine. He graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, USA in 2004...
now voices Mickey after Allwine died of diabetes on May 18, 2009, with his final performance being for the series' DS game), Donald Duck, and Goofy. Several high profile actors provided the voice acting of the main characters. The first game featured Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment
Haley Joel Osment is an American actor. After a series of roles in television and film during the 1990s, including a small part in Forrest Gump playing Tom Hanks' title character’s son, Osment rose to fame with his performance as Cole Sear in M...
as Sora, David Gallagher
David Gallagher
David Lee Gallagher is an American actor. Beginning a prolific career as a child actor and model at the age of two, Gallagher is a five-time Young Artist Award nominee and Teen Choice Award winner, best known for his role as Simon Camden on the long running television series 7th Heaven, as well as...
as Riku, Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
as Kairi, and Billy Zane
Billy Zane
William George "Billy" Zane, Jr. is an American actor, producer and director. He is probably best known for his roles as Caledon Hockley in Titanic, The Phantom from The Phantom, John Wheeler in Twin Peaks and Mr...
as Ansem. The third game, Kingdom Hearts II, saw the return of the main character voice actors (except for Billy Zane, who left for unknown reasons and was subsequently replaced by Richard Epcar
Richard Epcar
Richard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los...
) and added Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney is an American singer-songwriter, actor and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career...
as Roxas, Brittany Snow as Naminé, and Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
as DiZ. Other notable actors included Sean Astin
Sean Astin
Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
, Steve Burton, Will Friedle
Will Friedle
William Alan "Will" Friedle is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is best known for his comedic roles, most notably the underachieving elder brother Eric Matthews on the long-running TV sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000...
, Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
, Lance Bass
Lance Bass
James Lance Bass , best known as Lance Bass, is an American pop singer, dancer, actor, film and television producer, and author. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band 'N Sync. 'N Sync's success led Bass to work in film and television...
, Ming-Na
Ming-Na
Ming-Na is a Macanese-born American actress. She has been credited with and without her family name, but most credits since the late 1990s have been without it...
, David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
, James Woods
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
, and most recently, Jason Dohring
Jason Dohring
Jason William Dohring is an American actor who is best known for his role as Logan Echolls on the 2004 television show Veronica Mars and for his role as Josef Kostan on the 2007 series Moonlight.-Personal life:...
, Willa Holland
Willa Holland
Willa Joanna Chance Holland is an American actress and fashion model. She is best known for her role as Kaitlin Cooper, Marissa Cooper's devious younger sister, on the television series The O.C.. She also appeared as Agnes Andrews on The CW series Gossip Girl...
, Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
, and Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
.
Reception
The Kingdom Hearts series has been critically and commercially successful, though each title has seen different levels of success. By December 2005, the Kingdom Hearts series had shipped more than 8.5 million copies worldwide. As of September 2008, the series has shipped over twelve million copies worldwide, with 2.0 million copies in PAL regionPAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s, 3.0 million copies in Japan, and 5.6 million copies in North America. The three main games in the series all met with positive sales at the time of their releases. In first two months since the North American release of Kingdom Hearts, it was one of the top three highest-selling video games. Chain of Memories sold 104,000 units in 48 hours in Japan, a record for a Game Boy Advance title at the time. Its positive debut sales placed it in the top spot of sales charts in Japan. In the first month of its North American release, it was ranked 1st on GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's ChartSpot for portable systems and 6th for all consoles. Within a week of the Kingdom Hearts II release in Japan, it shipped 1 million copies, selling almost 730,000 copies. By the end of March 2006, the NPD Group
NPD Group
The NPD Group, Inc. is a leading North American market research company. The NPD Group consistently ranks among the top 25 market research companies in the independent Honomichl Top 50 report, which the media and the research industry acknowledge as a credible source of information on the market...
reported that Kingdom Hearts II was the highest-selling console game in North America, with 614,000 copies. In the month after its release in North America, Kingdom Hearts II sold an estimated 1 million copies.
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 gaming magazine Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
, known for its extremely harsh grading. All six games have been praised for their visuals. Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
considers the series the eleventh "must-play PlayStation 2" series. The individual 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. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
named Kingdom Hearts "Best Art Style/Direction" in their 2003 list of "Best Looking Games on PS2". G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
awarded it "Best Story" at their 2003 G-Phoria
G-Phoria
G-Phoria is an annual video game awards show started in 2003 and produced by G4. The awards are democratically voted on.Formerly the event was formatted like a regular awards ceremony taped in front of an audience, featuring celebrities such as Hal Sparks, Carmen Electra, Wilmer Valderamma and Anna...
awards show. Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
awarded Kingdom Hearts II "Best Sequel" of 2006. It tied with Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4, known in Japan as , is a survival horror third-person shooter video game developed by Capcom Production Studio 4 and published by multiple publishers, including Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo Australia, Red Ant Enterprises and THQ Asia Pacific...
as Famitsu's Game of the Year 2005. The manga series has also been well received. Several of the manga volumes were listed on USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s "Top 150 best sellers". The highest ranked volume was Kingdom Hearts volume 4 at #73. Every volume listed stayed on the list for at least two weeks; Kingdom Hearts volume 4 stayed the longest at four weeks.