| Kingdom Hearts | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art featuring the main characters, from top: Sora, Riku, Goofy, Kairi, and Donald | |
| Developer | Square |
| Publishers | |
| Director | Tetsuya Nomura |
| Producers | |
| Programmers |
|
| Artist | Tetsuya Nomura |
| Writers | |
| Composer | Yoko Shimomura |
| Series | Kingdom Hearts |
| Platform | PlayStation 2 |
| Release | Final Mix
|
| Genres | Action role-playing Hack and slash |
| Mode | Single-player |
Kingdom Hearts[a] is a 2002action role-playing game developed bySquare for thePlayStation 2video game console.[1] It is the first game in theKingdom Hearts series and is the result of a collaboration between Square andThe Walt Disney Company. An expanded re-release of the game featuring new and additional content,Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, was released exclusively in Japan in December 2002. TheFinal Mix version of the game was later remastered in high definition and released globally as part of theKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix collection for thePlayStation 3. The game was later ported and released as part of the bundledKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix collection forPlayStation 4 in March 2017,Xbox One in February 2020,Windows in March 2021 andNintendo Switch in February 2022.
The game combines characters and settings fromDisney animated features with those from Square'sFinal Fantasy series, in addition to original characters and worlds created for the game. It follows the adventures ofSora, a cheerful teenager who fights against the forces of darkness alongside his allies, includingDonald Duck,Goofy, and other Disney characters. The game was a departure from Square's standard role-playing games, introducing a substantialaction andhack and slash element to the gameplay. The score was composed byYoko Shimomura, with anall-starvoice cast including many of the Disney characters' official voice actors.[2] It was longtime Square character designerTetsuya Nomura's first time in a directorial position.[3]
Kingdom Hearts was a critical and commercial success and received praise for its unusual combination of action and role-playing elements, its unexpectedly harmonious mix of Square and Disney elements, and Shimomura's music.[4] It is considered to be one of thegreatest video games of all time, and was a large presence in the 2002holiday season, receiving numerous year-end game awards, and went on to achieveSony "Greatest Hits" status.[5] The game's success spawned afranchise and numerous sequels, with theKingdom Hearts series going on to ship over 36 million copies worldwide and becoming one of Square's most popular franchises.Kingdom Hearts is one of thebest-selling PlayStation 2 games.
Kingdom Hearts is influenced by its parent franchise,Final Fantasy,[6] 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.[7] Sora is directly controlled by the player from a third-person camera angle.[8] All other party members are computer-controlled,[9] though the player can customize their behavior to an extent through the pause menu.[10] Donald and Goofy comprise the party in most areas, but many levels feature a character who may replace them. For instance,Jack Skellington joins Sora's party in Halloween Town, but cannot accompany the player elsewhere. In some worlds, the party changes its appearance, has abilities unique to that world, or both; the characters can fly inNeverland, gain aquatic forms inAtlantica which enable them to survive underwater, and wear Halloween costumes inHalloween Town to blend in with the locals.
Like traditional role-playing games,Kingdom Hearts features anexperience point system that determines character development. As enemies are defeated, theplayer characters gain experience and grow stronger, gaining access to newabilities.[11] Unlike other games of its genre,Kingdom Hearts allows a 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, or magic―for Sora to excel in and one to lack in.[12] By choosing certain options, the player may manipulate how Sora learns abilities,grows statistically, and gains levels.[12] Donald, Goofy, and additional party members are assigned specific areas of strength from the outset. Donald excels in magic, while Goofy excels in defense and special attacks.[13]
The game progresses linearly from one story event to the next, usually presented incutscenes, though there are numerousside quests available that provide benefits to the characters.[10] Players may also choose the order in which they tackle some areas. Most of the gameplay occurs on interconnected field maps where battles take place. Combat inKingdom Hearts occurs in real time and involves pressing buttons to initiate attacks by the on-screen character.[14] An action menu, similar to those found inFinal Fantasy games, found at the bottom left of the screen provides other combat options such as using magic and items, although players can also assign selected magic spells that can be instantly used whilst holding the shoulder button. As players progress through the game, they can receive certain Disney characters as summons, includingDumbo,Bambi,Mushu, andSimba, who are unlocked through summon gems found in the worlds, andTinker Bell and theGenie, who are unlocked after clearing the worlds of Neverland and Agrabah respectively.[12] 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.[11]
Sora, along with his allies, possesses a Hit Point (HP) meter and a Magic Point (MP) meter, which increase as they gain experience and level up. The MP meter is divided into various segments that are used up whenever a character performs magic, with more powerful magic consuming more MP, and can be replenished by performing melee attacks or using items. The HP meter determines the character's health and reduces when they take damage, although it can be replenished by using healing items or spells. If one of Sora's allies runs out of health, they will be knocked out temporarily until healed. However, if Sora loses all of his health, the game ends and the player must resume play from the beginning of an area or boss. Defeating enemies causes various orbs to fall: green orbs which replenish health, blue orbs which restore MP, and yellow orbs which represent Munny, the game's currency, and can be used to purchase new items.
The Gummi Ship is the mode of travel between the various worlds in the game. The gameplay for piloting the vessel is different from the rest of the game, switching to arail shooter format in which the player controls the Gummi Ship from a rear third-person perspective as it travels in an outer space setting. While traveling, the player must avoid obstacles and defend against enemy ships that attempt to destroy the vessel by firing missiles or ramming it. Surviving the route allows access to the next world. Once the player's Gummi Ship is destroyed, it will have the option to either return to the world selection menu or retry the level. 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. Different pre-designed blueprints can be found throughout the game that can be used to quickly construct Gummi Ships.[12]Geppetto also gives the player different Gummi Ship designs based on the number of Heartless defeated. From the start, the player can travel between worlds by using "Normal Drive", which initiates the rail shooter-like minigame. Later in the game, Sora can acquire a "Warp Drive", which allows instant travel between previously visited worlds without having to play the minigame. However, worlds that have not been visited cannot be accessed with Warp Drive and must be discovered normally first.
| Kingdom Hearts chronology |
|---|
The universe ofKingdom Hearts is a collection of variouslevels, referred to as "worlds", through which the player must progress. Fourteen worlds are featured, out of which thirteen can be accessed; one, Disney Castle, is shown in cutscenes, and additional worlds are mentioned by various characters, but are inaccessible due to being destroyed by theHeartless. Ten Disney worlds are based on fiction,[15] primarily from theDisney animated features canon, and the other four were created by Square specifically for the game.
The graphics and characters of each world were designed to resemble the artwork and style of the Disney film they are based on. Each Disney world is inhabited by characters from the film: for instance,Hercules andPhiloctetes appear in Olympus Coliseum, andAladdin,Jasmine, andJafar in Agrabah. Each world is disconnected from the others and exists separately, and with few exceptions, most characters in the world are unaware of other ones. Players travel from one world to another via the Gummi Ship.[11]
The worlds created specifically for the game mirror the overall appearance of the other worlds and feature either new characters or ones from severalFinal Fantasy games. These worlds include the Destiny Islands, the home world of Sora, Riku, and Kairi and where the story opens;[16] Traverse Town, which serves as a hub world and refuge for those whose worlds were destroyed; Hollow Bastion, home of severalFinal Fantasy characters; and the End of the World, a large, dark world created from the remnants of various worlds consumed by the Heartless. The main characters, Sora, Donald, and Goofy, travel from world to world to seal the world's "Keyhole", which protects it from the Heartless and from destruction, while trying to minimize their interaction with characters of other worlds to maintain a balance of separation, which sometimes requires them to change their physical appearance to blend in with the world's inhabitants.
The collaboration between Disney and Square resulted in a mixture of familiar Disney and Square characters, as well as several new characters created and designed by Tetsuya Nomura.[17] The primary protagonist of the game isSora, a 14-year-old boy chosen to wield theKeyblade—a weapon which is a cross between a key and a sword—to battle darkness. The game also features two friends from his home world,Riku andKairi. For most of the game, Sora is joined byDonald Duck andGoofy, who are a court wizard and captain of Disney Castle's royal guard respectively,[18] and were sent to find the Keyblade wielder, joining forces with Sora to search for their King,Mickey Mouse, while Sora searches for Kairi and Riku. The primary antagonist isAnsem, who seeks power and knowledge by using the Heartless, whileMaleficent, from the 1959 filmSleeping Beauty, leads a group ofDisney villains that seeks to use the Heartless for their own gain.
As a game meant to explore the fictional universes of various Disney films, over one hundred Disney characters are featured in various capacities.[19] While many serve as major characters in the story, others appear in cameo roles, such as theOne Hundred and One Dalmatians being part of a side-quest where the player receives rewards for collecting and returning them to Pongo and Perdita. Most worlds also feature a Disney villain whom the player must defeat.
Square also incorporated several characters from theFinal Fantasy series into the game, though altered to fit the game's story. Destiny Islands features younger versions ofTidus andWakka fromFinal Fantasy X (2001) andSelphie Tilmitt fromFinal Fantasy VIII (1999). In Traverse Town, the player encountersSquall Leonhart, also known as Leon, fromFinal Fantasy VIII, as well asAerith Gainsborough,Cid Highwind, andYuffie Kisaragi fromFinal Fantasy VII (1997).[12]Rikku fromFinal Fantasy X was originally set to appear, but was replaced by Yuffie.[20]Cloud Strife andSephiroth fromFinal Fantasy VII make appearances in Olympus Coliseum, where the player can fight them in tournaments.[12] The emphasis on characters from laterFinal Fantasy installments stems from Nomura's hesitation to use characters he did not design.[21] The game also uses otherFinal Fantasy icons, such as theMoogles, who mediate item synthesis.[11]
Sora, Riku, and Kairi build a raft with the intent to leave their home world of Destiny Islands to explore new worlds. On the night before the planned voyage, the Heartless attack the islands and Riku and Kairi disappear. Before the Heartless consume the islands, Sora mysteriously obtains the Keyblade, a weapon effective against the Heartless. Meanwhile, King Mickey has left his own world to deal with the increasing number of Heartless, leaving instructions for Donald and Goofy to find the "key" that will protect the worlds from encroaching darkness. Donald and Goofy use the Gummi Ship to travel to Traverse Town, where they find Sora after he wound up there following the destruction of his world. The three decide to travel together – Donald and Goofy to find Mickey, and Sora to find Kairi and Riku – traveling to various worlds and sealing their "Keyholes" to prevent their "heart" from being consumed by the Heartless. Meanwhile, a group of Disney villains led by Maleficent seek out the sevenPrincesses of Heart to unlock the final keyhole that leads to Kingdom Hearts, a repository of knowledge and power and the source of all hearts. Maleficent also finds Riku and recruits him into her services, manipulating him into believing that Sora abandoned him.
Sora and his friends eventually arrive at Hollow Bastion, Maleficent's headquarters, where Riku takes the Keyblade from Sora and reveals himself to be its intended wielder, with Sora only receiving it in his absence; Donald and Goofy reluctantly leave Sora as per their orders. Sora later challenges Riku, stating that his heart derives strength from his friends, inspiring Donald and Goofy to return to him and allowing him to regain control of the Keyblade. After the three defeat Maleficent, Sora finds Kairi's comatose body and confronts Riku, who has been possessed by Ansem, a figure who manipulated Maleficent to open the way to Kingdom Hearts. Ansem reveals Kairi as the seventh Princess of Heart, her heart having transferred into Sora's body when the Destiny Islands were destroyed. After defeating the possessed Riku, Sora impales himself with Ansem's Keyblade, which is designed to unlock hearts, and releases both his and Kairi's hearts. Kairi's heart returns to her body, in turn completing the final Keyhole, while Sora becomes a Heartless. However, Kairi recognizes Sora's Heartless, and the light in her heart restores him to human form.
Sora and his group venture to the End of the World, the remnants of the worlds destroyed by the Heartless, to confront Ansem as he reaches the door to Kingdom Hearts. Believing a wellspring of darkness lies within the door, Ansem calls upon it to aid him after a battle with Sora. However, the door opens to reveal light, which destroys Ansem. Also beyond the door are Mickey and Riku, who help Sora and his friends close the door before Sora and Mickey lock it with their Keyblades from both sides. The worlds lost to the Heartless reconstruct themselves; as the Destiny Islands reform, Kairi returns there while Sora is forced to part with her. Sora, Donald, and Goofy resolve to find Riku and Mickey.
The initial idea forKingdom Hearts began with a discussion betweenShinji Hashimoto andHironobu Sakaguchi aboutSuper Mario 64.[22] They were planning to make a game with freedom of movement in three dimensions likeSuper Mario 64 but lamented that only characters as popular as Disney's could rival a Mario game.Tetsuya Nomura, overhearing their conversation, volunteered to lead the project and the two producers agreed to let him direct.[22] A chance meeting between Hashimoto and a Disney executive in an elevator—Square and Disney having previously worked in the same building in Japan—allowed Hashimoto to pitch the idea directly to Disney.[23][24] Nomura struck down a number of proposals from Disney to pursue his own concept featuring an original character not based on a Disney property.[22] The production team consisted of over one hundred members from both Square and Disney.[14] The game began development in February 2000[25] and originally focused more on the gameplay with a simple story to appeal to Disney's target age range.[26] After Sakaguchi told Nomura the game would be a failure if it did not aim for the same level as theFinal Fantasy series, he began to develop the story further.[26] When choosing the Disney worlds to include in the game, Nomura and his team tried to pick worlds that had distinctively different looks.[27] They also tried to take into account worlds with Disney characters that would be interesting.[26] Thanks to support from Disney's then-president and current chairman and chief executiveBob Iger, the team had few restrictions on which worlds they could use from the Disney franchises. However, they tried to remain within each character's boundaries set by their respective Disney films.[22][28] In a June 2013 interview, Nomura stated the name of the game was inspired byDisney Theme Parks, particularlyAnimal Kingdom, which had recently opened when development on the game began. However, Nomura could not secure theIP as justKingdom. Later on, when the development team began to think about "hearts" as a core part of the story, it was decided to combine the two to form the titleKingdom Hearts.[29][30] Outside contractorsTelecom Animation Film Company andKazuhide Tomonaga helped animate the game by being the animation supervisors.
Additional content was added to the North American release that was absent in the initial Japanese release:[19] new optional bosses, one of which, Kurt Zisa, was named after the winner of the official website's "Name-In-Game" sweepstakes,[19] an extra difficulty level,[31] and a teaser ofKingdom Hearts II accessible by meeting certain criteria.[28] Nomura included the teaser to gauge fan reaction to the possibility of a sequel; he felt that if the idea was unpopular, then it would be best to leave certain events in the game unexplained.[32] The new content was later added to the Japanese re-releaseKingdom Hearts Final Mix.Final Mix included further additional content such as new items, cutscenes, and enemies, such as a new secret boss that sets up the sequel. The new content further hinted at plotlines that would be explained in sequels. Some content omitted fromKingdom Hearts was later added intoKingdom Hearts II. A world based onThe Lion King, for instance, was unfeasible due to the difficulties involved programming Sora'squadrupedal lion form.[33] Due to time constraints, the developers left out an optional boss battle, similar to the Sephiroth battle, againstTifa Lockhart. She was later included inKingdom Hearts II as a more developed character.[34]
Yoko Shimomura composed and produced the music ofKingdom Hearts.[35] While there arearranged 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 byKaoru Wada and performed by theNew Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.[35] The main vocal theme for the original Japanese release is titled "Hikari" (光). The English version of "Hikari", "Simple and Clean", was used in the Western releases and the Japanese re-release,Final Mix. Both versions were composed and performed byHikaru Utada. Her involvement, along with the Japanese song title, was announced in January 2002.[36] Utada was the only singer Nomura had in mind for theKingdom 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] TheKingdom 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 theKingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack Complete, which was released in Japan on March 28, 2007.[39] Music fromKingdom Hearts was also included in Shimomura's best works compilation albumDrammatica.[40]
Kingdom Hearts featured well-known voice actors for both the Japanese and English versions. The Japanese version featuredMiyu Irino as Sora, Risa Uchida as Kairi, andMamoru Miyano as Riku. Other voice actors includedKoichi Yamadera as Donald Duck,Hideo Ishikawa as Leon, andMaaya Sakamoto as Aerith. A special effort was made to preserve the official voice actors of characters from the Disney films used inKingdom Hearts, includingTony Anselmo,Bill Farmer, andWayne Allwine as Donald Duck,Goofy, andMickey Mouse, respectively. Other actors who reprised their roles includedTony Goldwyn asTarzan,James Woods asHades,Jodi Benson asAriel,Kathryn Beaumont asAlice andWendy Darling,Scott Weinger asAladdin,Linda Larkin asPrincess Jasmine,Gilbert Gottfried asIago,Pat Carroll asUrsula,John Fiedler asPiglet,Chris Sarandon asJack Skellington, andKenneth Mars asKing Triton. Some of the voice actors from the related television series or direct-to-video sequels were chosen over the original voice actors from films, where applicable, such asDan Castellaneta as Genie, rather thanRobin Williams. The English version featuredHaley Joel Osment as Sora,David Gallagher as Riku, andHayden Panettiere as Kairi.[41][42] Other voice actors includedBilly Zane asAnsem,Christy Carlson Romano asYuffie,David Boreanaz as Leon,Sean Astin asHercules,Lance Bass asSephiroth, andMandy Moore asAerith.[41][43]
Kingdom Hearts was announced at theElectronic Entertainment Expo in May 2001.[17] Initial details were that it would be a collaboration between Square andDisney Interactive and would feature worlds developed by both companies and Disney characters. New characters were designed by Nomura and included Sora, Riku, Kairi, and the Heartless.[14][17] A playable demo was available at theTokyo Game Show in 2001. The gameplay of the demo showcased many action role-playing game elements that would be included in the final product.[44] 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.[45] 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 also announced that many of the Disney characters would be voiced by the official voice actors from their respective Disney films.[2][14] Other marketing efforts included auctions of the game and related items before the North American release and a Consumer Demo Day inSan Francisco, California.[46][47]
Multiple versions ofKingdom Hearts have been released. The first was the original Japanese release, followed by the North American and PAL releases, which includes additional content. The game was later re-released in Japan asKingdom Hearts Final Mix, which features the content of the North American/PAL release, as well as more new content.
Originally released only in Japan on December 26, 2002,Kingdom Hearts Final Mix has several events and a number of gameplay tweaks that are not in previous releases. Spoken dialogue is in English, with Japanese subtitles.[48] New scenes, clarifying certain plot points, such as Riku's journey and foreshadowing ofKingdom Hearts II, were included, but no new dialogue was recorded. A gameplay option allows the player to skip cutscenes after seeing them once.[48] The optional bosses first included in the English version were introduced to Japanese players for the first time, along with a new fight against "Unknown Man", in an attempt to raise interest for the sequel.[49]
In another attempt at foreshadowing, a video titled "Another Side, Another Story 【 deep dive 】" plays at the ending if the player accomplishes certain tasks. It introduces a mysterious hooded figure who is identified in later games asRoxas, Sora'sNobody.[49] 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,[50] and gameplay tweaks to make the game easier for the player, along with two new levels of difficulty.[49][51] When first released,Final Mix included either a deck ofKingdom Hearts cards or special music CD. A limited "Platinum Edition" version ofKingdom Hearts Final Mix was later released with an action figure of Sora, a sticker set, and sketches of some of the main characters.[48]
It was released for the first time in North America, Europe, and Australia as part ofKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix.[52][53][54]
During August 2011, Nomura expressed desire to release a high-definition rerelease of the game, though he had yet to confirm such plans.[55][56] In September 2012, Square Enix announcedKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, a compilation for the PlayStation 3, that includes bothKingdom Hearts Final Mix andKingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories in HD and trophy support. The character models fromKingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance were used as a base for the game's characters. The gameplay of the originalKingdom Hearts was modified to play more likeKingdom Hearts II.[57] Additionally, the collection includes HD cinematic scenes fromKingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. It was released in Japan on March 14, 2013,[58] in North America on September 10, 2013,[52] on September 12, 2013, for Australia,[53] and September 13, 2013, for Europe.[54]
In June 2013, Nomura stated that the original game assets forKingdom Hearts had been lost some time ago. He explained, "[The game data] was lost, so we had to research, and we had to dig out from the actual game what was available and recreate everything for HD. We had to recreate all the graphics and it was actually not that easy".[30][59]
In October 2016, Square Enix announced a single-disc compilation release ofKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix andKingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix for the PlayStation 4. It was released on March 9, 2017, in Japan, and was released on March 28, 2017, in North America, and March 31, 2017, in Europe and Australia.[60] A piece of freedownloadable content for the PS4 version released in June 2017 added a Theater mode forKingdom Hearts Final Mix; this was included by default in later ports of the compilation.[61]
On November 14, 2019, Square Enix announced that bothKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix andKingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix were coming toXbox One, marking the Xbox debut of the first twoKingdom Hearts games and spinoffs.[62] The two games are combined into a collection titledKingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix, and released on February 18, 2020.[63]
Both Square and Disney also released numerous types of merchandise before and after the release of the game. Merchandise ranged from toys and figurines[19] to clothing items and books. Like theFinal Fantasy games, Square released anUltimania book onKingdom Hearts in Japan following the release of the game and a revised edition following the release ofFinal Mix. In North America, a strategy guide was released byBrady Games. It featured a comprehensive walkthrough and a sticker activity journal.[12][64] Amanga series based on the game was released in 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 byShiro Amano. The novel series consists of two volumes and was released in North America on March 25, 2008.[65][66]
The game was adapted into a manga by Shiro Amano. The story follows the events that took place in the game with a few minor differences to account for the loss of interactivity a video game provides.[67] Some events that took place in theFinal Mix version were also included. The manga was originally serialized in Japan byEnterbrain'sFamitsū PS2, but has since been released worldwide in four volumes. The volumes have been published in English in theUnited States byTokyopop. The first volume was released on October 11, 2005,[68] and the fourth volume was released on July 10, 2006.[69] The entire series was later released in a boxed set on October 10, 2006.[70] The manga series has had moderate success. The first volume was ranked 95th inUSA Today's "Top 150 best sellers" during the week of its release.[71]IGN praised Amano's artwork and commented on wanting to replay the game after reading. They criticized the lack of new content and stated the transition from game to print lost most of the story's appeal.[67] The series was followed by others based on the game's sequels:Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories andKingdom Hearts II.[72][73]
Kingdom Hearts sold very well. During the first two months of its North American release, it was one of the top three highest-selling video games[74] and was among the top selling titles during the 2002 Christmas and 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.[75] At the end of April 2003, Square announced thatKingdom Hearts had sold its millionth copy in the United States, which made it eligible for PlayStation's "Greatest Hits" status, and over 3.0 million worldwide.[5] Sales reached 1.2 million in Japan in the first quarter of 2004, and broke 4.0 million worldwide.[76] In December 2005, theNPD Group listed it as "one of the top ten best-selling PlayStation 2 titles of all time in North America".[77] By July 2006,Kingdom Hearts hadsold through 2.6 million copies and earned $100 million in the United States alone.Next Generation ranked it as the seventh highest-selling game launched for thePlayStation 2,Xbox, orGameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country.[78] As of December 2006,Kingdom Hearts had shipped over 5.6 million copies worldwide with 1.1 million inPAL regions, 1.5 million in Japan, and 3.0 million in North America.[79] As of 2006, the original game and theFinal Mix version had sold 6 million copies on PS2.[80] As of March 2022, theKingdom Hearts series has shipped more than 36 million copies worldwide.[81]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 85/100[82] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 1Up.com | A−[83] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 25.5/30[84] |
| Eurogamer | 8/10[85] |
| Famitsu | 36/40[86][87] |
| Game Informer | 9.5/10[88] |
| GamePro | 4.5/5[15] |
| GameSpot | 8.2/10[10] |
| GameSpy | 4/5[9] |
| GamesRadar+ | 87%[89] |
| GameZone | 9.1/10[90] |
| IGN | 9/10[16] |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | 4.5/5[91] |
| X-Play | 4/5[92] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[93] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| GameSpot | Best Crossover SinceCapcom vs. SNK[4] |
| G4TV | Best Story[94] |
| International Game Developers Association | Excellence in Visual Arts[95] |
| IGN | Best Art Style/Direction[96] |
The game received generally positive reviews. InIGN'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".[97] In 2007, the website listedKingdom Hearts as the 22nd best PlayStation 2 game of all time.[98] Critics commended the visuals and hybrid action-adventure and role-playing feel to the game.IGN named it "Best Art Style/Direction", runner-up for "Best CG Graphics", and honorable mention for "Best Animation" inIGN's 2003 list of "Best Looking Games on PS2".[99]GameSpy listedKingdom Hearts twice in its "Top 25 Video Game Cinematic Moments".[100][101]GamePro stated that the graphics were "gorgeous", giving them high marks.[15] The audio was also praised, particularly the quality of the voice-overs and musical score.[9][10]GamePro had positive comments on the overall audio and gave that aspect a perfect score.[15]
Reception for 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 theStar Fox series", but stated that the combat was fun, particularly the boss fights.[10]Dengeki Online commented on the camera controls, saying that the camera would often run into objects while being rotated by the player.[102]GamePro compared the battle system to "oldN64Zelda games" and had positive comments about Donald and Goofy'sartificial intelligence.[15]
The mix of Square and Disney elements also attracted acclaim. GameSpot commented that the concept of mixing the serious elements ofFinal Fantasy with the lighter elements of Disney seemed impossible, but was pulled off quite well. Because of that they awardedKingdom Hearts "Best Crossover SinceCapcom vs. SNK" in their 2002 Best and Worst of the Year awards.[4] GameSpy noted 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 that the overall package was worth playing through to the end.[9]G4TV awarded it "Best Story" at their 2003G-Phoria awards show.[94] Fan response was also positive;Kingdom Hearts was voted as the 19th best game of all time by readers of the Japanese magazineFamitsu,[103] 16th by the users of websiteGameFAQs,[104] and 92nd byIGN users.[105]Kingdom Hearts ranked ninth onIGN's most recent "Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time" list.[106] It ranked first onGamesRadar's "Top 7 Disney Games" list in 2009.[107] It was also a nominee for the Best Game Award from theCESA Game Awards [ja] for 2001–2002.[108] In the making of the 2004 video gameFullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel the developers,Racjin, looked at other titles for inspiration, particularlyKingdom Hearts when making the game.[109]
During the6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominatedKingdom Hearts for "Console Role-Playing Game of the Year" and outstanding achievement in "Animation", "Art Direction", and "Character or Story Development".[110]
Kingdom Hearts was followed by several sequels, becoming the first game in theKingdom Hearts series. It was followed by a direct sequel,Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, on theGame Boy Advance, which was released in Japan on November 11, 2004.[111][112]Kingdom Hearts II is the third game in the series, set one year afterChain of Memories, and was released in Japan on December 22, 2005, for PlayStation 2.[113] Like the first game it was re-released asKingdom Hearts II Final Mix alongside a PS2 remake ofChain of Memories.[114] AKingdom Hearts game was developed exclusively forVerizon Wireless's broadband service V CAST, and was released on October 1, 2004, in Japan and on February 4, 2005, in the United States.[115] In November 2008,Kingdom Hearts Coded was released for mobile phones in Japan, the game takes place after the events ofKingdom Hearts II. A follow-up,Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, was developed for theNintendo DS and released in Japan on May 30, 2009, and in North America on September 29, 2009. A prequel was released in Japan on January 9, 2010, entitledKingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, for thePlayStation Portable, which takes place 10 years before the events ofKingdom Hearts.[116] The following title in the series wasKingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance for theNintendo 3DS, released in 2012.[117] AtE3 2013,Kingdom Hearts III was announced to be in development for thePlayStation 4 andXbox One, before being released in January 2019, followed by adownloadable content expansion titledKingdom Hearts III Re Mind in early 2020.[118][119] The following title,Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, set after the events ofRe Mind, was then released in Japan on November 11, 2020, and worldwide two days later.
During Square Enix's 20th anniversary event for the franchise in April 2022, a mobile title,Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, was announced foriOS andAndroid devices, with a closed beta arriving in August, while the next mainline installment,Kingdom Hearts IV, was also revealed to be in development.[120] In May 2025,Missing-Link was cancelled.[121]
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