Kingdom Hearts
Developer(s)	Square
Publisher(s)	JP Square NA Square Electronic Arts/Disney Interactive PAL SCE Europe
Designer(s)	Shinji Hashimoto (game producer) Hironobu Sakaguchi (executive producer) Tetsuya Nomura (game director, character designer, concept) Jun Akiyama (scenario writer) Daisuke Watanabe (scenario writer) Kazushige Nojima (scenario writer) Yoko Shimomura (music composer)[1]
Series	Kingdom Hearts
Aspect ratio	480i (SDTV)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release date	JP March 28, 2002 NA September 17, 2002 EU November 15, 2002 AUS November 22, 2002 INT December 26, 2002—as Kingdom Hearts Final Mix
Genre(s)	Action role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	CERO: All Ages ESRB: Everyone PEGI: 7+ USK: 6+ OFLC: G8+ ELSPA: 11+
Media	1 DVD-ROM
Input methods	DualShock 2

Kingdom Hearts (キングダムハーツ, Kingudamu Hātsu^?) is an action role-playing game developed and published by Squaresoft (now Square Enix) in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console.^[2] It is the result of a collaboration between Square and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney's animated features with those from the Final Fantasy series, developed by Square. The story follows Sora, a young boy, as he is thrown into an epic battle against the darkness. He is joined by Donald Duck and Goofy, classic Disney characters, who help him on his quest. The logo of Kingdom Hearts, the first game in the series. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... Square Company, Limited ) was a Japanese video game company founded in September of 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi. ... This article is about the country in East Asia. ... Square Company, Limited ) was a Japanese video game company founded in September of 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi. ... North American redirects here. ... Square Electronic Arts L.L.C., also known as Square EA, was a joint venture between console video game developers Square Co. ... Disney Interactive Studios is the video game publishing division of The Walt Disney Company. ... Television system by country The PAL region is a video game publication territory which covers Australia, New Zealand, and varying European countries. ... Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... A game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game. ... Hironobu Sakaguchi ) (born November 25, 1962) is a Japanese game designer, game director and game producer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Tetsuya Nomura ) (born October 8, 1970) is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix (formerly Square). ... A game director is a person who is in-charge of significant creative aspects of a video game. ... Characterization is the process of creating characters in fiction, often those who are different from and have different beliefs than the author. ... A scenario (from the Italian, that which is pinned to the scenery) is a brief description of an event or a series of events. ... Daisuke Watanabe is a video game designer. ... A scenario (from the Italian, that which is pinned to the scenery) is a brief description of an event or a series of events. ... Scenarist Kazushige Nojima is the founder of Stellavista Ltd. ... A scenario (from the Italian, that which is pinned to the scenery) is a brief description of an event or a series of events. ... Yōko Shimomura (下村陽子 Shimomura Yōko, b. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The logo of Kingdom Hearts, the first game in the series. ... The aspect ratio of a two-dimensional shape is the ratio of its longer dimension to its shorter dimension. ... 480i is the shorthand name for a video mode. ... In computing, a platform describes some sort of framework, either in hardware or software, which allows software to run. ... PS2 redirects here. ... This article is about the country in East Asia. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... North American redirects here. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Australasia Australasia is a term variably used to describe a region of Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. ... is the 326th day of the year (327th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... In video games, an international version is a relocalized version of a previously released title in its native territory that has gained additional features and contents in foreign releases. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Further information: Game classification Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay interaction. ... An Action-RPG, or action role-playing game is a type of computer and console role-playing game which requires quick action or reflexes from the player. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... A video game content rating system is a system used for the classification of video games into suitability-related groups. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... The ESRBs logo. ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information (PEGI) is a European video game content rating system. ... The USKs official logo. ... The Office of Film and Literature Classification is a statutory censorship and classification body which provides day to day administrative support for the Classification Board which classified films, video games and publications in Australia, and the Classification Review Board which reviews films, computer games and publications when a valid application... The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (or ELSPA) is an organisation set up in 1989 by British software publishers. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... The DualShock (officially DUALSHOCK and occasionally referred to as Dual Shock) is the standard game controller available for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 video game consoles. ... An Action-RPG, or action role-playing game is a type of computer and console role-playing game which requires quick action or reflexes from the player. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Square Company, Limited ) was a Japanese video game company founded in September of 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi. ... SQUARE ENIX (Japanese: スクウェア・エニックス) is a Japanese producer of popular video games and manga. ... 2002 2002 in games 2001 in video gaming 2003 in video gaming Notable events of 2002 in video gaming. ... PS2 redirects here. ... Game console redirects here. ... Disney redirects here. ... The bouncing ball animation (below) consists of these 6 frames. ... This is a list of theatrical animated feature films produced and/or released by Walt Disney Productions/The Walt Disney Company: // The following is a list of the forty-nine feature films that are part of the Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA) canon, also known as the Walt Disney Animated... This article is about the Final Fantasy franchise. ... A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits. ... Donald Duck is an animated cartoon and comic-book character from Walt Disney Productions. ... This article is about the Disney character. ...

Kingdom Hearts was a departure from Square's standard role-playing games by introducing a substantial action-adventure element. In addition, it had an all-star voice cast which included many of the Disney characters' original voice actors.^[3] Kingdom Hearts was also longtime Square character designer Tetsuya Nomura's first time in a directorial position.^[4] Action-adventure games (British English: arcade adventure) are video games that combine elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. ... All-star (also, Allstar or All Star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of sports and entertainment. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Tetsuya Nomura ) (born October 8, 1970) is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix (formerly Square). ...

Kingdom Hearts was praised for its unusual combination of action and role-playing, as well as its unexpectedly harmonious mix of Square and Disney.^[5] It received numerous year-end "Best" video game awards and was a dominating presence in the 2002 holiday season and went on to achieve Sony "Greatest Hits" status.^[6] Since its release, Kingdom Hearts has sold over 5.6 million copies worldwide and has been followed by two sequels.^[7] Three more titles are currently being developed, which have a connection to a future, unannounced game.^[8] These are PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable games that have been made Greatest Hits games in the US by Sony. ...

Gameplay

The main character, Sora, fights against Heartless in the Monstro world.

Kingdom Hearts is influenced by its parent franchise, Final Fantasy,^[9] and carries gameplay elements over into its own action-based, hack and slash system. The main battle party consists of three characters: Sora, Donald Duck and Goofy.^[10] Sora is directly controlled by the player from a third person camera angle.^[11] All other party members are computer-controlled,^[12] though the player can customize their behavior to an extent through the pause menu.^[13] Donald and Goofy are the computer-controlled characters that are usable in most areas; nearly every world in the game features its own party member who can be chosen to replace Goofy or Donald in the party while the party is in that world. For instance, Jack Skellington can join the player's party in Halloween Town, but can not accompany the player elsewhere. On some worlds, the party changes its appearance, has abilities unique to that world, or both. For example, the party can fly in Neverland and has aquatic forms in Atlantica, which enable them to survive underwater. Image File history File links Battle screnshot from Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2. ... Image File history File links Battle screnshot from Kingdom Hearts for PlayStation 2. ... A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits. ... Square Enixs and Disneys Kingdom Hearts series of video games takes place in an unnamed outer space-like fictional universe with numerous self-contained worlds to explore over the course of play. ... Monstro is an enormous whale from the Disney film Pinocchio. ... HACK/slash is the name of a graphic novel from Devils Due Publishing. ... For other uses, see Point of view (literature). ... The Pumpkin King redirects here. ...

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 can lead up to a "level up", where the characters grow stronger and gain access to new abilities.^[1] Unlike other games of its type, Kingdom Hearts allows a certain degree of character development customization through a short tutorial found at the beginning of the game. The tutorial allows the player to select from one of three main attributes―strength, defense, and magic―for Sora to excel in and one to lack in.^[14] By choosing certain options, the player is able to manipulate how Sora learns abilities, grows statistically, and even gains levels.^[14] Donald, Goofy, and any other additional party members are assigned specific areas of strength from the outset. Donald excels in magic and Goofy excels in defense and special attacks.^[15] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A statistic or stat, in role-playing games, is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. ... A statistic or stat, in role-playing games, is a piece of data which represents a particular aspect of a fictional character. ...

The game is driven in a primarily linear progression to the next story event, usually told in the form of a cut scene, though there are numerous side quests available that provide bonus benefits to the characters.^[13] Most of the gameplay occurs on interconnected field maps where battles take place. Combat in Kingdom Hearts is in real time^[16] and involves pressing buttons to initiate attacks by the on-screen character. A role-playing game menu, similar to those found in Final Fantasy games, found at the bottom left of the screen provides other combat options such as using magic and items. There is also a context-sensitive option at the bottom of the menu, usually used for interacting with the environment or performing special attacks. This menu is manipulated by using the right analog stick or digital pad, while movement is controlled by the left analog stick, allowing the player to navigate the menu while avoiding or approaching enemies.^[1] A cut scene or cutscene (sometimes also referred to as a cinematic) is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no control. ... A quest in a gaming context, especially in MMORPGs, is generally a task or series of tasks, which a player or group of players may complete in order to gain a reward. ...

Gummi Ship

The Gummi Ship is the mode of travel between the various worlds in Kingdom Hearts where the player pilots a vessel. The gameplay for piloting the vessel is very different from the rest of the game as it switches to a rail shooter format. The player controls the Gummi Ship from a rear, third person perspective as it travels in an outer space setting. At the beginning of the game, there are few options available to customize the vessel, but as the game progresses, new weapons, engines, and armor become available for it. In addition, many different pre-designed blueprints can be found throughout the game which can be used to quickly construct gummi ships.^[14] Rail Shooter is a genre of shoot em up video games, deriving from the on-rails movement featured in such games. ...

Plot

Setting

Main article: Universe of Kingdom Hearts

The universe of Kingdom Hearts is a collection of various levels, referred to as "worlds", which the player progresses through. Thirteen can be accessed throughout the game and one, the Disney Castle, is shown in cutscenes. Additional worlds are mentioned by various characters, but are not accessible because they have been destroyed by the Heartless, beings of darkness. Ten of the worlds are based on Disney fiction,^[17] primarily from the Disney animated features canon, and the other four were created by Square specifically for the game. Square Enixs and Disneys Kingdom Hearts series of video games takes place in an unnamed outer space-like fictional universe with numerous self-contained worlds to explore over the course of play. ... In computer and video games, a level (sometimes called a stage, course, episode, round, world, map, wave, board, phase, or landscape) is a separate area in a games virtual world, in modern games typically representing a specific location such as a building or a city. ... The symbol of the Heartless The Heartless ) are creatures of darkness who serve as the antagonists in the fictional universe of the Kingdom Hearts video game series. ... This is a list of theatrical animated feature films produced and/or released by Walt Disney Productions/The Walt Disney Company: // Official canon (Walt Disney Animated Classics) The following is a list of the forty-eight feature films part of the Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA) canon, also known as...

Each world varies in appearance and setting, depending on the Disney world upon which it is based. The graphics of the world and characters were meant to resemble the artwork style of the environments and characters from their respective Disney film. Each Disney world is inhabited by characters from their respective Disney film; Hercules and Philoctetes inhabit Olympus Coliseum, and Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, and Jafar inhabit Agrabah. Each world is disconnected from the others and exists separately. Most characters in the worlds are unaware of the existence of the other worlds, but some notable ones are aware. Players travel from one world to another via Gummi Ship.^[1] Hercules is a fictional character who first appeared as the protagonist the Disney animated movie Hercules and later in the midquel television series of the same name. ... In Greek mythology, Philoctetes (also Philoktêtês or Philocthetes, Φιλοκτήτης) was the son of King Poeas of Meliboea in Thessaly. ... Aladdin (Arabic: علاء الدين) is a fictional character who first appeared in the Disney theatrical animated movie Aladdin, and then in the two direct-to-video sequels The Return of Jafar (1994) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996), and the animated television series, Aladdin, set between the two sequels. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jafar (Arabic: جعفر [Jafar]) is a fictional character, voiced by Jonathan Freeman in the Disney film Aladdin and its sequel, The Return of Jafar. ...

The worlds created specifically for the game mirror the overall appearance of the other worlds and feature either new characters or characters from several Final Fantasy games. The new worlds include: Destiny Islands, where the story initially begins;^[18] Traverse Town, which serves as a launching point for most of the game; Hollow Bastion, which many of the Final Fantasy characters call home; and End of the World, a large, dark world created from the remnants of various worlds consumed by the darkness.^[19] The main characters travel from world to world to seal each "Keyhole"; this protects the world from the Heartless and ultimately from destruction. They also try to minimize their interaction with characters of other worlds in order to maintain a balance of separation.^[20] To blend in with the inhabitants of a world, Sora, Donald, and Goofy sometimes change their physical appearance.^[21]

Characters

Further information: Characters of Kingdom Hearts

The main protagonists, from left, Riku, Kairi, Sora, Donald, and Goofy

Because Kingdom Hearts was a collaboration between Disney and Squaresoft, it features a mixture of familiar Disney and Square characters, as well as several new characters designed and created by the director, Tetsuya Nomura.^[22] The primary protagonist of the game is Sora, who is chosen to wield the Keyblade, a weapon for battling darkness. The game also features two of his friends, Kairi and Riku. For most of the game, Sora is joined by Donald Duck and Goofy. Donald, the court wizard, and Goofy, captain of the royal guard,^[23] were sent from Disney Castle to find the Keyblade.^[24] The three join forces to search for King Mickey Mouse, Kairi, and Riku. The primary antagonist is Ansem, who is seeking to find power and knowledge by using dark beings called the Heartless. The Heartless, hearts corrupted by darkness, serve as most of the enemies encountered in the game and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 648 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 740 pixels, file size: 170 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image depicts the main protagonists in the action role-playing video game by Square Co and Disney, Kingdom Hearts. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 648 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 740 pixels, file size: 170 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image depicts the main protagonists in the action role-playing video game by Square Co and Disney, Kingdom Hearts. ... Square Company, Limited ) was a Japanese video game company founded in September of 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto and Hironobu Sakaguchi. ... A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits. ... A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits. ... A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits. ... Donald Duck is an animated cartoon and comic-book character from Walt Disney Productions. ... This article is about the Disney character. ... Mickey Mouse is an Academy Award-winning comic animal cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. ... A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits. ... Square Enixs and Disneys Kingdom Hearts series of video games takes place in an unnamed outer space-like fictional universe with numerous self-contained worlds to explore over the course of play. ...

As a game meant to explore the fictional universes of various Disney films, there are over 100 Disney characters.^[25][26] While many serve as major characters in the story, others appear in cameo roles, such as the One Hundred and One Dalmatians puppies playing a part in a side-quest. Most worlds also feature a Disney villain whom the player must defeat. The player can summon various Disney characters to fight alongside Sora in battle, causing Donald and Goofy to withdraw from the battlefield for the duration of the summon. Available summoned characters include the Genie from Aladdin, Tinkerbell from Peter Pan, Bambi from Bambi and Simba from The Lion King.^[14] This article is about the 1961 film. ... Genie Genie is a fictional character from the Disney animated features canon movie Aladdin, as well as related series and sequels. ... This article is about the Disney film. ... Å› This article is about a fictional character. ... Peter Pan is the fourteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... Bambi as a fawn in Bambi II Young adult Bambi surprised by Faline in Bambi Bambi, a young roe deer, is the main character in Felix Saltens Bambi, A Life in the Woods and in the Walt Disney movies based on the book. ... Bambi is a 1942 animated feature produced by Walt Disney and originally released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on August 13, 1942. ... For other uses, see Simba (disambiguation). ... This article is about Disneys 1994 film. ...

Square also incorporated several of its famous characters from the Final Fantasy series into the game, though the characters were tweaked slightly for novelty and to fit the game's back-story. On Destiny Islands, the player meets younger versions of Tidus, Wakka (both from Final Fantasy X), and Selphie Tilmitt (from Final Fantasy VIII). In Traverse Town, the player encounters Squall Leonhart (known in the game as "Leon") from Final Fantasy VIII as well as Aerith Gainsborough, Cid Highwind, and Yuffie Kisaragi from Final Fantasy VII.^[14] Rikku from Final Fantasy X and Irvine Kinneas from Final Fantasy VIII were both originally set to make cameo appearances, but were replaced by Yuffie and Wakka respectively.^[27][28] Cloud and Sephiroth (both from Final Fantasy VII) make appearances in Olympus Coliseum, where the player can fight them in the tournaments.^[14] The emphasis on characters from later Final Fantasy installments stems from Tetsuya Nomura's hesitation to use characters he did not design.^[29] Tidus ) is the protagonist in the Square Enix role-playing game Final Fantasy X. As the lead character, the player controls Tidus through the game, manipulating his actions through the unfolding storyline in traditional Final Fantasy style. ... Wakka ) is a playable character in the Square-Enix video game Final Fantasy X. He is voiced by John DiMaggio (who also voices Kimahri) in the English version and Kazuya Nakai in the Japanese version. ... Squares 1999 best-selling console role-playing game Final Fantasy VIII deals with an elite group of mercenaries called SeeD, as well as soldiers, rebels and political leaders of various nations and cities. ... Squall Leonhart ) is the main protagonist of Squaresofts (now Square Enix) role-playing game Final Fantasy VIII. He was designed by Tetsuya Nomura with heavy influences coming from game director Yoshinori Kitase. ... Aerith Gainsborough )—known as Aeris Gainsborough in the English translations of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics—is a female protagonist in SquareSofts (now Square Enix) role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. In Final Fantasy VII, Aeris is a 22-year-old flower girl who joins AVALANCHE. As... Squares Final Fantasy VII was one of the first major console role-playing games released for the Sony PlayStation and was Squares largest game at the time. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Not to be confused with Riku. ... Squares 1999 best-selling console role-playing game Final Fantasy VIII deals with an elite group of mercenaries called SeeD, as well as soldiers, rebels and political leaders of various nations and cities. ... Cloud Strife ) is the main protagonist in Squares (now Square Enix) role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and several of its sequels and spin-offs. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The game also uses other Final Fantasy icons. Moogles appear to provide item synthesis.^[1] Several weapons, such as "Lionheart" and "Save the Queen", share names with other weapons from previous entries in the Final Fantasy series. A name Riku suggests for the raft early in the game is Highwind, a reference to the airship of Final Fantasy VII, while the default name for Sora's suggestion is Excalibur, a weapon in the Final Fantasy series. The magic-naming system in Kingdom Hearts (i.e. Fire, Fira, Firaga, etc.) is identical to Final Fantasy magic. The names of various spells are also the names of Gummi blocks, and various summons, weapons, bosses, and monsters are the names of Gummi ship blueprints. Though each Final Fantasy story is independent, many themes and elements of gameplay recur throughout the series. ...

Story

Kingdom Hearts begins on Destiny Islands, where Sora, Riku, and Kairi live. The three friends want to leave the islands to explore new worlds and have prepared a raft for this purpose.^[1] One night, the islands are attacked by darkness and shadow creatures.^[12] Sora seeks out his friends, finding Riku, who disappears into darkness. At the same time, Sora obtains the Keyblade. The islands are destroyed, and Sora is left adrift. Meanwhile, King Mickey has left his world to deal with the increasing darkness and left instructions for mage Donald and knight Goofy to find the "key".^[24]

Donald and Goofy use a Gummi Ship to travel to Traverse Town, to where Sora has drifted. Sora encounters the shadow creatures again, and meets Leon, who explains the shadow creatures are Heartless, beings that consume hearts, and that the Keyblade is the only weapon capable of defeating them.^[30] A man named Ansem, the leader of Leon's home world, is said to have studied the Heartless. Sora meets Donald and Goofy and the three decide to travel together: Donald and Goofy to find Mickey, and Sora to find Kairi and Riku. The three go to various worlds based on Disney films, finding that the Keyblade also locks "Keyholes", passages the Heartless use to take the heart of a world. A group of Disney villains, led by Maleficent, seek out the seven Princesses of Heart to unlock the Keyhole that leads to Kingdom Hearts,^[11] a repository of knowledge and power and the source of all hearts. This group includes Riku, whom Maleficent promises she will help in finding Kairi. Maleficent sows distrust in Riku, telling him Sora has abandoned him and Kairi for new friends and the Keyblade.^[31] An increasingly antagonistic Riku finds Kairi's body, but cannot find her heart. Maleficent is the wicked dark fairy and main antagonist in Walt Disneys 1959 adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. ... A piece of promotional artwork for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ that showcases the main characters of the series; Sora appears twice in the center in two different outfits. ...

Sora and his friends eventually arrive at Hollow Bastion, the homeworld of Ansem and the headquarters of Maleficent. Riku takes the Keyblade from Sora, claiming he was simply the "delivery boy".^[32] Donald and Goofy, taking their order to follow the "key" seriously, leave with Riku. Sora challenges Riku, stating his heart derives strength from his friends; his friends return to him, as does the Keyblade. In his shame, Riku meets a cloaked man who goads him to give into the darkness. The three engage and kill Maleficent but then meet a strangely-behaved Riku with a Keyblade that unlocks hearts. Sora finds Kairi's body and Riku, who reveals himself to be Ansem, possessing Riku's body.^[33] Ansem explains that Kairi is a Princess of Heart and her heart was trapped within Sora's body since the Destiny Islands were destroyed. After defeating Ansem, Sora uses Ansem's Keyblade to unlock his heart (he impales himself), releasing both his and Kairi's heart. Kairi's heart returns to her body, in turn completing the final Keyhole, while Sora becomes a Heartless. Sora is restored to human form by Kairi and resolves to confront Ansem.

Ansem is found in End of the World, the combined remnants of worlds taken by the Heartless.^[19] Ansem explains his belief that darkness is the heart's true essence, and he seeks Kingdom Hearts, as that would be the ultimate darkness. However, upon opening the door to Kingdom Hearts, it reveals its light, overwhelming and destroying Ansem. Beyond the door are King Mickey and Riku, and they help Sora and the others close the door, as there are many Heartless beyond it. Mickey and Sora use their Keyblades to lock the door. The worlds reconstruct themselves, separating Sora and Kairi. The game concludes as Sora, Donald, and Goofy resolve to find Riku and Mickey.^[34]

Audio

Cover of the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Musical score

Further information: Music of Kingdom Hearts

The music is composed by Yoko Shimomura.^[35] While there are some arranged melodies derived from previous Disney films, most of the soundtrack consists of original themes written specifically for the game by Shimomura. The opening orchestration and ending credits theme were arranged and orchestrated by Kaoru Wada and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.^[35] The main vocal theme for the original Japanese release was titled "Hikari" (光, "Hikari"^?). The English version of "Hikari", "Simple and Clean", was used in the Western releases and the Japanese re-release, Final Mix. Both versions of the song were composed and performed by Utada Hikaru. Her involvement, along with the Japanese song title, was announced in January 2002.^[36] Utada was the only singer Nomura had in mind for the Kingdom Hearts theme song.^[37] This marked the first time Utada had produced a song for a video game. The single, Hikari, was released in Japan on March 20, 2002^[38] and proved to be very popular; by August 2002, it had sold over 860,000 copies in Japan.^[37] The Kingdom Hearts soundtrack was released on a two CD set on March 27, 2002 in Japan and a year later in the United States. The soundtrack was later included in the Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack Complete, which was released in Japan on the March 28, 2007.^[39] Music from Kingdom Hearts will be included in Yoko Shimomura's best works compilation album Drammatica.^[40] The music of the video game series Kingdom Hearts was composed by Yoko Shimomura. ... Yōko Shimomura (下村陽子 Shimomura Yōko, b. ... In music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch, such as a lead sheet. ... Kaoru Wada , born 5 May 1962) is a Japanese music composer, and atteded the Tokyo College of Music. ... The New Japan Philharmonic ) is a symphony orchestra based in Japan It was established in 1972 with Seiji Ozawa as honorary conductor laureate. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Simple And Clean is a song by J-pop artist Utada Hikaru. ... Utada redirects here. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... The music of the video game series Kingdom Hearts was composed by Yoko Shimomura. ...

Voice cast

Kingdom Hearts featured well-known voice actors for both the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version featured Miyu Irino as Sora, Risa Uchida as Kairi, and Mamoru Miyano as Riku. Other notable voice actors included Kōichi Yamadera, Hideo Ishikawa, Maaya Sakamoto, Takashi Aoyagi, Yū Shimaka and Shinichirō Miki.^[41] A special effort was made to preserve the original voice actors from the Disney movies used in Kingdom Hearts. Some of the voice actors from the related television series or direct-to-video sequels were chosen over original voice actors, where applicable (e.g. Dan Castellaneta as Genie, rather than Robin Williams). The English version featured Haley Joel Osment as Sora, David Gallagher as Riku, and Hayden Panettiere as Kairi.^[42][43] Other notable voice actors included Sean Astin, Billy Zane, Lance Bass, David Boreanaz, Mandy Moore, and Christy Romano.^[42][44] Miyu Irino ) (February 19, 1988 - ) is a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo. ... Risa Uchida supplied the voice for Kairi in the Japanese version of a popular Playstation 2 game called Kingdom Hearts. ... Mamoru Miyano , born June 8, 1983 in Saitama, Japan) is a male seiyÅ« and actor. ... Koichi Yamadera ), born June 17, 1961 in Tagajo, Miyagi, is a Japanese seiyu and singer who also hosts Oha Star, a childrens TV show in Japan. ... Hideo Ishikawa , born December 13, 1969) is a male seiyÅ« born in Hyōgo, Japan. ... Maaya Sakamoto , born March 31, 1980 in Itabashi, Tokyo) is a female Japanese seiyÅ« and singer who made her debut in 1996 as the voice of Hitomi Kanzaki in the hit anime series The Vision of Escaflowne. ... Takashi Aoyagi is an Japanese actor, best known as the Japanese voice of Mickey Mouse in Kingdom Hearts. ... YÅ« Shimaka ) (May 6, 1946 - ) is a male seiyÅ« from Nagano Prefecture. ... Shinichiro Miki ) is a seiyÅ« who was born on March 18, 1968 in the city of Tokyo. ... Daniel Louis Dan Castellaneta (born October 29, 1957) is a three-time Emmy Award-winning American voice actor, actor and comedian, perhaps best known for providing the voice of Homer Simpson and other characters on the long-running FOX animated series The Simpsons. ... This article is about the American actor and comedian; for other people named Robin Williams, see Robin Williams (disambiguation). ... Haley Joel Osment (born April 10, 1988) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... David Lee Gallagher (born February 9, 1985) is an American actor. ... Hayden Leslie Panettiere (born August 21, 1989)[1] is an American actress, singer, and Grammy Award nominee. ... Sean Astin (born Sean Patrick Duke[1] on February 25, 1971 in Santa Monica, California) is a film actor, director, and Oscar-nominated producer best known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy... William George Billy Zane, Jr. ... James Lance Bass (born May 4, 1979), known as Lance Bass (pronounced ), is an American pop singer, actor, film and television producer, and author. ... David Paul Boreanaz (born May 16, 1969) is an American film and television actor. ... Amanda Leigh Mandy Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American pop singer, songwriter, model, and actress. ... Christy Carlson Romano Christy Carlson Romano (born March 20, 1984) is an actress who is a native of Milford, Connecticut. ...

Development

The idea for Kingdom Hearts came about when producer Shinji Hashimoto met with a Disney executive in an elevator; Square and Disney had previously worked in the same building in Japan.^[45] The production team was composed of over 100 members from both Square and Disney.^[16] The game began development in February 2000^[46] and originally focused more on the gameplay with a simple story to appeal to Disney's target age range.^[47] After executive producer Hironobu Sakaguchi told director Tetsuya Nomura the game would be a failure if it did not aim for the same level as the Final Fantasy series, Nomura began to develop the story further.^[47] When choosing the Disney worlds to include in the game, Nomura and his team tried to pick worlds that had distinctively different looks.^[48] They also tried to take into account worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting.^[47] Though they had few restrictions on which worlds they could use from the Disney franchises, they tried to remain within each character's boundaries set by their respective Disney films.^[49] Some content that did not make it into Kingdom Hearts was later added into Kingdom Hearts II. The "Pride Land" from The Lion King, for instance, was infeasible because a different program was required for Sora to turn into a lion and walk on four legs.^[50] Tifa Lockhart was considered to be included along with Sephiroth, but was left out due to time constraints.^[51] Hironobu Sakaguchi ) (born November 25, 1962) is a Japanese game designer, game director and game producer. ... Tetsuya Nomura ) (born October 8, 1970) is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix (formerly Square). ... Kingdom Hearts II ) is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Square Enix and Buena Vista Games (now Disney Interactive Studios) in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console. ... This article is about Disneys 1994 film. ... Tifa Lockhart ), is a female protagonist from Squaresofts blockbuster RPG, Final Fantasy VII designed by Tetsuya Nomura. ...

Additional content was added to the North American release that was not included in the initial Japanese release.^[25] The new content included new optional bosses, one of which was named after the winner of the official website's "Name-In-Game" sweepstakes,^[25] an additional difficulty level,^[52] and an unlockable teaser of Kingdom Hearts II.^[49] Nomura included the teaser 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 game unexplained.^[53] The new content was later added to the Japanese re-release titled Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. Final Mix also included additional content such as new items, cut scenes, and enemies. The new content served as a canonical update to the original release and further hinted at plotlines that would be explained in sequels. Canon, in the context of a fictional universe, comprises those novels, stories, films, etc. ...

Promotion

Kingdom Hearts was announced at E3 in May 2001.^[22] 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.^[16][22] A playable demo was available at the Tokyo Game Show in the autumn of 2001. The gameplay of the demo showcased many action role-playing game elements that would be included in the final product.^[54] To help market the English release of the game, Square launched the official website in April 2002, which featured trailers, a "Name-In-Game" sweepstakes, and other Internet content.^[55] On May 14, 2002, a press release announced a list of the English voice actors. The list included Haley Joel Osment, David Gallagher, and Hayden Panettiere as the three new characters introduced in the game. It was also announced that many of the Disney characters would be voiced by their original voice actors from their respective Disney films.^[16][56] Other marketing efforts included auctions of the game and related items before the North American release^[57] and a Consumer Demo Day in San Francisco, California.^[58] The E3 Media and Business Summit Logo The E3 Media and Business Summit, formerly known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E³), and commonly known as E3, is an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry presented by the Entertainment Software Association. ... Gamers play Sonys PS3 in TGS 2006 Booths at the Tokyo Game Show in 2004 The Tokyo Game Show , or simply TGS) is a video game expo / convention held in Tokyo, Japan. ... is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... San Francisco redirects here. ...

Reception

Kingdom Hearts received overall positive reviews and sales figures. During the first two months of its North American release it was one of the top three highest-selling video games^[66] and was one of the top selling titles during the 2002 holiday season. In November 2002, UBS Warburg listed it as the 6th highest console game in terms of sales during the week of November 5.^[67] At the end of April 2003, Square announced that Kingdom Hearts had sold its millionth copy in the United States, which made it eligible for PlayStation's "Greatest Hits" status, and over 3 million worldwide.^[6] Sales reached 1.2 million in Japan in the first quarter of 2004, and broke 4 million worldwide.^[68] In December 2005, the NPD Group listed it as "one of the top ten best-selling PlayStation 2 titles of all time in North America".^[69] As of December 2006, Kingdom Hearts had shipped over 5.6 million copies worldwide with 1.1 million in PAL regions, 1.5 million in Japan, and 3 million in North America.^[7] ... Eurogamer homepage Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news and reviews. ... Cover art for Issue 1 of FamitsÅ« magazine, June 1986, then known as Famicom TsÅ«shin FamitsÅ« abbreviated ファミ Fami) is a Japanese video game magazine published by Enterbrain, Inc. ... G4 is an American cable and satellite television channel originally geared toward male viewers aged 12–34, devoted to the world of video games and the video game lifestyle. ... Game Informer (often abbreviated to GI) is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... GameSpy, also known as GameSpy Industries, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game Web sites and provides online video game-related services and software. ... IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... Game Rankings is a website which keeps track of video game reviews from other sites, and combines them to present an average rating for each game. ... The UBS Tower in Chicago (photo by Krzysztof Makara) UBS AG (NYSE: UBS; SWX: UBSN; TYO: 8657) is a diversified global financial services company, with its main headquarters in Basel & Zürich, Switzerland. ... The NPD Group, Inc. ... Television system by country The PAL region is a video game publication territory which covers Australia, New Zealand, and varying European countries. ...

Critical response

The game received high ratings among reviews. In IGN's Best of 2002 awards, it was nominated for "PS2's Best Game of 2002 Editor's Choice Award" and was a runner up for "PS2's Best Game of 2002 Reader's Choice Award".^[70] In 2007, they listed Kingdom Hearts as the 22^nd best PlayStation 2 game of all time.^[71] Critics commended the visuals, orchestral score, voice acting, and action-adventure role-playing game feel to the game. IGN named it "Best Art Style/Direction", runner-up for "Best CG Graphics", and honorable mention for "Best Animation" in IGN's 2003 list of "Best Looking Games on PS2".^[72] GamePro stated the graphics were "gorgeous" and rated them a 4.5 out of 5.^[17] The audio was also praised, particularly the quality of the voice-overs^[12][13] and a well received musical score. GamePro had positive comments on the overall audio and rated it a 5 out of 5.^[17] IGN - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

Criticism about the gameplay was mixed. Many reviews complained that the camera was at times frustrating and the Gummi Ship portions were out of place. GameSpot cited "tedious" gameplay and Gummi Ship sections as "pale imitations of the Star Fox series", but stated that the combat was fun, particularly the boss fights.^[13] Dengeki Online commented on the camera controls, saying that the camera would often run into objects while being rotated by the player.^[73] GamePro compared the battle system to "old N64 Zelda games" and had positive comments about Donald and Goofy's AI.^[17] The Star Fox series ) is a video game franchise published by Nintendo. ... MediaWorks, Inc. ... The Nintendo 64 ), often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendos third home video game console for the international market. ... The Legend of Zelda ) is a high fantasy action-adventure video game series created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and developed and published by Nintendo. ...

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.^[5] GameSpy cited that the periodic departure from the main plot into the Disney side stories was disappointing, and when the original plot builds to a climax, "...the story fails to gel thanks to a confusing mish-mash of vague terms and symbolism that probably made more sense in the director's head than in this final product." Aside from the plot, they stated the overall package was worth playing through to the end.^[12] G4TV awarded it "Best Story" at their 2003 G-Phoria awards show.^[74] Fan response was also positive; Kingdom Hearts was voted as the 19^th best game of all-time by readers of the Japanese magazine Famitsu,^[75] 16^th by the users of website GameFAQs,^[76] and 92^nd by IGN users.^[77] The SNK VS. Series is a collection of video games by either Capcom or SNK in which characters that appear in games created by both of these two companies appear. ... G4 was a cable television channel devoted to the world of video games and the people who play them. ... G-Phoria is an annual video game awards show started in 2003 and produced by G4. ... Cover art for Issue 1 of Famitsū magazine, June 1986, then known as Famicom Tsūshin Famitsū abbreviated ファミ Fami) is a Japanese video game magazine published by Enterbrain, Inc. ... GameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. ...

Versions and merchandise

Further information: List of Kingdom Hearts media

Multiple versions of Kingdom Hearts have been released. The first was the original Japanese release which was followed by the North American and PAL releases, which included additional content. The game was later re-released in Japan as Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, which featured the content of the North American/PAL release, as well as new content. Both Square and Disney also released numerous types of merchandise before and after the release of the game. Merchandise ranged from toys and figurines^[25] to clothing items and books. Like the Final Fantasy games, Square released an Ultimania book on Kingdom Hearts in Japan following the release of the game and a revised edition following the release of Final Mix. In North America, a strategy guide was released by Brady Games. It featured a comprehensive walkthrough and a sticker activity journal.^[78][14] A manga series based on the game was also released in both Japan and the United States. A novel series also based on the game was released in Japan. It was authored by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano. The novel series consists of two volumes and is scheduled to be released in the North America on March 25, 2008.^[79][80] This is a list of media related to the Kingdom Hearts video game series. ... Ultimania (Japanese: アルティマニア Arutimania) is a series of comprehensive video game guides published by Square-Enix (formerly under the title of their now disbanded publishing subsidiary, DigiCube) in Japan. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This is a list of media related to the Kingdom Hearts video game series. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

Final Mix

Neoshadows, one of the new enemies, in Final Mix, along with the One-Winged Angel Keyblade.

Released only in Japan, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix has several events and a number of gameplay tweaks that are not in previous releases. Spoken dialogue is in English,^[81] with Japanese subtitles. New scenes, clarifying certain plot points, such as Riku's journey and foreshadowing of Kingdom Hearts II, were included. A gameplay tweak allows the player to skip cut scenes after seeing them once.^[81] The optional bosses first included in the English version were introduced to Japanese players for the first time, along with "Unknown", in an attempt to raise interest for the sequel. Image File history File links New types of shadows in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix for PlayStation 2. ... Image File history File links New types of shadows in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix for PlayStation 2. ... The members of Organization XIII in the image are, from left to right, Xigbar, Demyx, Luxord, Saïx, Xaldin, Xemnas, Axel, Marluxia, Larxene, Lexaeus, Zexion, and Vexen. ...

In another attempt at foreshadowing, a video titled "Another Side, Another Story [deep dive]" plays at the ending if the player accomplishes certain tasks.^[82] New music tracks incorporated were "Disappeared" and "Another Side". The "Night on Bald Mountain" and "One-Winged Angel" tracks from the English version were included as well. Other changes include new abilities, new weapons, new items, additional and recolored enemies,^[83] and gameplay tweaks to make the game easier for the player, along with two new difficulty levels.^[82][84]

On the first day of the re-release, the game also included either a deck of Kingdom Hearts cards or a special music CD. A limited "Platinum Edition" version of Kingdom Hearts Final Mix was also released. The platinum version included an action figure of Sora, a sticker set, sketches of some of the main characters, and the game itself.^[81]