Kingdom Hearts Greatest Hits PS2 - PlayStation 2

I'll admit that I didn't think that this game was the greatest idea to start with. I like turn based combat, I don't like the saccharine side of Disney, and I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of this strange union. That said, I was pleasantly surprised in a lot of ways by this game. It deserves its status as one of the best selling RPGs of the past few years, and at the current price ($20 as a greatest hit title) every PS2 owner should buy it. Now, don't get me wrong--there's a lot that's not right with this game. We'll start, as most people do, with the camera. These developers should be ashamed. I've met people who've failed out of community colleges that could have done a better job. It's simply awful. There's no other word for it. The camera gets stuck on things. The camera forces its way into awkward positions for no apparent reason. At several points I felt as though the level designers had specifically tried to use the horrible control on the camera to make things more difficult. Even .dot//Hack, which is not comparable to this game in a lot of ways, managed to build a camera that was responsive and let you keep your eyes on what you were doing. The levels are poorly designed for as terrible a device as they're using, and there's simply no excuse for this kind of shoddy workmanship. Another annoying problem for me was the dialogue. It's not that it was badly done (though there are some points at which the players don't deliver their lines in quite the fashion they were intended to)--it's that whoever scripted this thing didn't put enough in it. There were several points in this game where the dialogue simply cut off and you were abruptly switched back to floating text boxes. Very disconcerting and it did a lot to dull the experience for me. And just as an aside--I know that it's the theme of the plot, but did the designers really have to try and set the record for most uses of the word "heart" in a ten minute span? There are plenty of synonyms available, people--use them. All of that aside, though, this game still succeeds admirably despite its flaws. The combat system, while not perfect (I didn't much like the ability system, and I particularly didn't like having to stick items on your characters before a fight) is remarkable. The menu system is quite effective and the AI for your party companions is....well, it's terrible, but it's better than most of the ones I've seen in similar games. The plot is involving and scripted better than normal for Square. Rather than spiraling out of control near the end (as their stories so often do) everything remains tight and compact. The characters feel real and you actually care about what happens to them. Graphically, this game looks better than an awful lot of what I've seen on other platforms, and never mind how inferior the PS2 is supposed to be to the other two major consoles. Square, as usual, has assembled a great looking product. The music is also tolerably good, though perhaps not up to the standards fans of the Final Fantasy series might hold. The mini-games are there for you to play, though once again you're forced to jump off of the plot in the middle of the climax and go slog through all the worlds you've already been to if you want to accomplish everything. The game clocks in a little shorter than most Square RPGs (I finished up in a little over thirty hours with about half of the mini-games completed, and I spent a fair amount of time jumping into walls I wouldn't have had to if I'd gone to a walkthrough), but frankly I think most of their games run a little on the long end anyway, so that worked out well for me. On the whole, I'd recommend that any PS2 owner who's entertained the notion of purchasing this game go ahead and do it. For twenty dollars, this is probably one of the best values that you can get.

When I'd first played Kingdom Hearts almost seven to eight years ago, I was skeptical on its possibilities as a RPG. I wasn't too fond of Disney's creations at the time, and I also knew Square Soft was a bit down in their capability. However, I gave the game a shot. When I began playing, I became enticed by the simplistic yet complex play style. The graphics were nice at the time as well, but I was drawn more towards the storyline, music, and battle system. Let's break them down, shall we? - Storyline A door to the heart of all worlds. The key to the heart. Kingdom Hearts 1 seems to revolve around the battle between light and darkness. It is an age-old battle, but it's always interesting to see one's interpretation of it. For this game, it's the interpretation that the battle occurs mostly within oneself. To fight that which is wrong and to follow the light within one's heart. I won't go too far into detail, for spoilers' sake. However, the story does move along the lines that one should do what they feel is right even if it means going against all odds in order to make things better for everyone, and that one should never give up on their true friends. - Game play system The play style of this game is both simple and complex. No standing in one spot and hitting an enemy. Rather, due to the 3D nature of this RPG, it is a real time battle system - requiring the player to always be on their toes and aware of their surroundings. Yes, if you aren't fully prepared, you will see the 'Game Over' screen. But don't despair! Just adjust your strategy and be more careful. The simple nature comes from that you technically can overcome any enemy by overpowering it simply with jumps, moving, and physical attacks. The complexity comes from that you have many other techniques as well as magic at your disposal in order to come up with a strategy against an overwhelming opponent force. Knowing the balance of what to use and when is the key to your success. - Music Yoko Shimomura did a wonderful job at this. Her compositions for Disney worlds and even some original areas were stunning and quite fitting for the areas. The inclusion of battle themes specific to each world is also pleasing to the ear, as it means one does not constantly hear the same battle music over and over through the course of the game (unless one tends to 'grind' like I do). - Graphics For the PS2 at the time of Kingdom Hearts' release, the graphics were actually better than even I anticipated. Yes, they are seemingly 'kid-like', but they are fitting for this game. However, as you play, you realize that even with such graphic design, some enemies can still be quite surprising and to not base your strategy merely on how the enemy may look. A good amount of detail was put into the game in all aspects. Environments actually are done well and have quite a bit to just look at in some areas. Characters are rendered wonderfully, especially several of the cameo characters. It was nice to see some of the older Final Fantasy characters redone in a new way and some even still looking almost exactly the same - with the exception of greater detail on their character model. - Final Say I must say that even if you aren't sure about the game, it is worth a shot to play. I didn't think it'd be too good, and I ended up loving it. If you aren't sure still, find a place to rent it from or someone to borrow it from. Personally, I believe it'd be worth the time to delve into the heart for the first time.

Works great

Kingdom Hearts is, without a doubt, one of the best RPGs out there! It is centered around a lovable cast, and an unforgettable plot. It is chock full of exciting battles and heartwarming scenes. It is the kind of thing that can be enjoyed whether you are a child or adult, I think. Certainly it is one of Square Enix's best productions! Overall, I believe that Kingdom Hearts is a solid purchase, and worth every penny that it costs! Package arrival: The delivery was prompt, and the parcel arrived earlier than I had expected. The game was in immaculate condition. It had clearly been handled with care during its shipping. Below I will touch on some of the game's specifics. Mechanics: It may take some time to adjust to the controls (such as having to press O to jump rather than X like you would in other games), but after some practice they become second nature to the player. Although the command menu appears daunting at first it also becomes something that you come to know like the back of your hand. Once you acquire different spells you will be able to assign certain ones to certain keys, making casting quick and easy (this is handy especially when you are in a sticky situation). Gameplay: Kingdom Hearts is a very adventure-oriented game. In order to uncover treasure as well as progress the plot you will need to be up for a great deal of exploration. While wandering about you will get to take a trip down memory lane as you traipse around the lands of the Disney characters you undoubtedly cherished while growing up. Unfortunately, in this game you are expected to defeat ALL of the enemies that are near you before you can open chests and interact with objects (in the later installments of the series you do not have to worry about having to do so). So, you would be wise to take down the foes that assault you (besides, you will be killing two birds with one stone as it will help you accumulate EXP). As you must level in order to grow stronger you will be expected to spend a fair amount of time "grinding" in order to climb the ranks. Thankfully, you are often presented with a handful of enemies, so leveling up is not SO hard to do. Generally, you are faced with a number of small-fry to fight. You will encounter groups of several of them at once, so while the EXP they have to offer is not a lot by themselves it adds up to a substantial amount before long.

This game was an instant classic. Fewer and fewer games nowadays can claim that title. Many games in today's world thrive on celebrity franchises, like Mario, Zelda, Final Fantasy, and the like. While this particular game's PR strategy is that way, the game itself shines brightly, just like the light of Kingdom Hearts. The biggest original selling point was the integration of two VERY different franchises: Final Fantasy and Disney. Bringing these two realms together into one product, particularly an RPG-style video game, must have been a big gamble. However, the geniuses at Square Enix pulled it off spectacularly, and created an entirely new franchise (that can now succeed in part because of its name). Kingdom Hearts takes the story of three young teens, Sora, Riku, and Kairi, who seek the unknown; what lies beyond their tiny island? What other worlds are out there? When their home is attacked by the Heartless and swallowed by the darkness, they are thrust into an imaginative adventure, and find out. Also, King Mickey (yes, it is that Mickey) of Disney Castle senses trouble brewing across the worlds, and departs to fight it. He leaves a note for his Royal Guard, Goofy, and Court Magician, Donald, ordering them to "find the key" and follow it. Sora finds himself in Traverse Town, a safe haven for people whose homes also fell to darkness, where he learns about the power of his new weapon, the Keyblade, and the Heartless that destroyed his home. Donald and Goofy also land here looking for the "key" mentioned in the note. Eventually, the three cross paths and decide to journey together to find Riku, Kairi, and the King, and return to their homes. The gameplay is also very noteworthy. It takes all of the elements of standard RPG's, like menus, countless items of all kinds, magic, summons, experience, HP, MP, etc, but eliminates all of the waiting. Battles start instantly, right in the field, and the basic menu, with all your commands, like Attack and Items, has to be sorted through on the fly, literally. Certain menus and actions can only be reached in the pause menu outside of battle. These include equipping items, choosing weapons and accessories, and customizing your characters. You have no control of any partners; just Sora. Given the gameplay style, this was a very wise choice. Also, in certain Disney worlds, new partners will join you, all Disney heroes. This game is not nearly as difficult as many RPG's can be, but you will likely struggle at points. Fortunately, the exploration in the game, trying to find all of the treasures, makes an easy excuse to fight some more battles and boost your stats. By then, that boss fight, or whatever it is, shouldn't be too hard. Battles could get a bit repetitive as well. The game has plenty of puzzles as well, most of them optional. However, since the rewards are usually great, I wouldn't miss them. While some of the enemies may be a bit irritating (like Black Fungus), for the most part, they're all pretty enjoyable. Here's a hint to make this game a bit easier: you can never overuse the Dodge Roll or Cure magic. Trust me, they will save your life. I'm not sure they picked the best Disney worlds, but what they did use, they used well. Certain Disney worlds contributed to the overall story very well. As for as technology is concerned, I'd say Kingdom Hearts is pretty average for PS2. It does feel very old when you go back to it after playing the sequels. The animation style is completely anime, in every way. The English dubbing is okay, but it feels awkward sometimes. The gestures and facial expressions don't always match what the characters are saying exactly. However, since that would require completely new animations, it's understandable why they kept it. Still, the voiceovers were well done, and they recreated the Disney characters pretty well. The music is cool. Some more of the original music from the movies would've been nice, but, again, that's expensive. At any rate, for its level, and time period for the system, Kingdom Hearts is pretty good. Overall, I'd give Kingdom Hearts five thumbs up, if I could. The story is immaculate, well-paced, and has a good balance between the somber Final Fantasy world, and the lighthearted, feel-good Disney world. The gameplay defines true action-RPG style. It's not too hard, not too easy. There are lots of fun cameos, good animation, and fun voiceovers. It creates an entirely new aspect of life, the heart, and explores it, with a little magic, and a little science. It's something that could only make sense in the world of Kingdom Hearts. Again, Kingdom Hearts is an instant classic, the perfect action-RPG, and a game for every RPG fan to try (and yes, I could write a book about it if I wanted to). Remember, there will always be a door to the light...

Love kingdom hearts

Let's get it out of the way: yes, the camera control is terrible. Square has acknowledged the problem and it will be fixed in Kingdom Hearts 2 (United States release Christmas 2005). That's just about the only major problem in an otherwise dynamite game. The style of Kingdom Hearts is familiar: it's a three-dimensional platformer with some RPG elements. Your party of adventurers travels through a fantasy landscape, making allies, righting wrongs, and pursuing the clues that will enable you to rescue or redeem the victims of dark forces. This time, however, you're not walking through a characterless high fantasy cliche, but through the worlds of such Disney classics as Aladdin, Alice and Wonderland and Pinocchio. Instead of characters you've never seen before, you're fighting alongside Goofy and Donald Duck. The visuals, movies, and even the voice acting are all pure, authentic Disney (you'll recognize the original or official voices of nearly all the Disney characters, including some major Hollywood talents). Square's contribution shouldn't be overlooked either, though. Just as Square previously took the silly world of Super Mario and turned it into the clever Secret of the Seven Stars, the various Disney stories and characters have been linked together by an engrossing overarcing plot. Monsters called the Heartless threaten all the worlds; the first Heartless you meet are almost cute, but as you proceed through the game they grow more and more menacing. The gameplay itself is about what you'd expect ... fight monsters, explore castles, cities, and caverns, solve both physical and mental puzzles, and manage your party's equipment and development. You have the usual complement of a fighter, a mage, and a fighter/mage, with additional characters of one type or the other who can be swapped in and out of your party. There are several minigames ranging from pointless to clever. and tons of optional treasures and secrets to find. Why wouldn't you like Kingdom Hearts? If your mind's closed to anything that seems "kiddie," you might not be able to get past the opening sequence; the storyline doesn't start turning dark until a couple of hours in. If you demand precision controls even in a brawling platformer, the camera may irritate you. While the game has variable difficulty levels and tons of tough optional bosses, the basic story is over in about 20 hours. And, like all Square games, the ending of the game isn't the end of the story ... at least this time there's a definite sequel that promises to answer the remaining questions.

Kingdom Hearts is one of those games that just dares your dad to break down and rekindle those old Disney inspired, family filled, evenings. Some adults may feel that this game may be a bit out of their league, but you'll be amazed at how this game is capable of keeping even the most grown up of us around. First of all, the game isn't terribly difficult to get the hang of or to defeat (even on the higher difficulty setting). And most of the action focuses on constant button mashing much in the vein of your typical Hack n'slasher. You play the as the young boy named Sora who lives on a far away island with his friends Riku and Kairi. The friends all share dreams of adventure and travel. The story takes off from their plunging our hero into a strange yet familiar series of worlds filled with all the Disney inspired goodness most of us have grown up to know. The story itself has it's intrigueing moments, and yet others where everything is completey predictable. Sora levels up as you gain experience which you'll recieve for hacking down enemies. And you'll obtain some pretty interesting combat combonations for reaching new levels. You will be utilizing magic spells as well, though given the relative ease of difficulty, you might be more inclined to simply attack most things. I have found personally that the true challenges in this title lie in mastering all the mini games and completing the colloseum and sub events. And there quite a number of extras to engage in when not busy following the story. As you move along you'll come face to face with a host of Disney characters both good and evil, and will even adventure with a handfull of them as your NPC sidekick (who by the way levels up and gains combos like Sora). SquareEnix has even gone so far as placing it's flagship Final Fantasy series characters into the mix. Don't hold your breath FF fannies, the cast of character's you have come to know are somewhat dumbed down to fit the theme of this Disney inspired game. Of course that's just a bit disapointing, but it's a minor gripe. There is voice acting throughout most of the game's major storyline and it is generally done quite well, though it's a little strange hearing the character's speak and then go straight into dialogue in some small cases. The graphics and movie segments are of typical SquareEnix quality, and the many towns or areas, fields, and large landmasses you'll travel never get dull or repetitive. You will be traveling to many worlds created by Disney and a few by SquareEnix themselves, via a gummi ship. Here's where the all the vivid environments and attention to detail kind of dip. Your ship resembles a leggo constructed model with wings. And the backdrop is a series of swirling psycodellic patterns littered with blockish obstacles. Even the enemy ships look like leggo toys! It's nothing to write home about but nothing to worry over either, considering that you'll also be capable of constructing your own unique ships block for block or using blueprints found in game. These travel sequences are short and pan out to be like a space shooter arcade game. The soundtrack is very pleasing and filled with revamped or origonal Disney tunes, inlaid with some SquareEnix origonals for an epic classical feel. After it's all said and done, this is a good game with easy controls and difficulty, and is easy to get into and engrossed in. I feel there is always enough going on to keep up interests without getting repetitve. And there is enough good gameplay to get all age groups involved without having to negotiate with your inner child. I give it a 4/5!

J'ai rencontré des difficultés avec ce jeu. Premièrement, il a du mal à passer dans ma console, ensuite il est en anglais alors que je le voulais en français. en résumé, je regrette cette achat d'ailleurs je ne joue pas avec ce jeu.

Bem embalado, a capa chegou inteira, o jogo é um dos meus favoritos

Completamente nuevo y buen precio

Such a nostalgic game! This was one of the first video games I ever played so my review is typed through rose-coloured glasses but I started playing it through again last month and it's still so good! Really fun game play, great graphics that still hold up even after all this time. So colourful and happy, good for any age group. Highly recommend!

Llegó en excelentes condiciones y antes de lo que marcaba la fecha de entrega. Muy recomendable para cualquier gamer.