'Don't Think Twice' about these spells

Throughout the years, some of the best Kingdom Hearts spells have Sora summoning fireballs or using balloons as projectile weapons. Most Kingdom Hearts games have their own exclusive spells, like Water and Reflect; the lat??ter of which is one of the most beloved enchantments in the series.

Today, we're listing the best Kingdom Hearts spells based on their effectiveness in battle and cinematic flair on-screen. Let's hope Donald is better at healing Sora after reading t?his.

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10. Magnet (KH2)

The Magnet spell is introduced in Kingdom Hearts 2 and pulls your opponents towards one orb. For a few seconds, you can work in an air combo unrestrained from the encroaching Heartless and Nobodies around you. Magnet can also combo with other spells like Thunder and Fire, making it?? a useful utility in combat.

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9. Thunder (KH3)

Thunder has been in the Kingdom Hearts series since the very beginning. It's an effective AoE (Area of Effect) attack that takes out multiple enemies at the same time. However, it seems to be less powerful than the likes of Fire and Blizzard. In Port Royal (the Pirates of the Caribbean world in KH2), Thunder can be used to completely stun Barb?ossa's m??inions in place.

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8. Water (KH3)

Water is the newest spell in Sora's arsenal. It's one of the best spells in Kingdom Hearts because it has a wide AoE and looks absolutely stunning as the waves flop to the side. It's also glistening in the sunlight, especially in Tangled's world. Water looks gorgeous in Kingdom Hearts 3, but it also bumps opponents into t??he air, allowing for follow-up attacks.

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7. Blizzard (KH3)

Another form of water is ice, and Sora can unleash his frosty powers with Blizzard. In Kingdom Hearts 3, the spell is heightened as it forms a trail on the ground. So?ra can ride it like Tony Hawk on a skateboard. You can then get a quick flowmotion attack from it. In addition, enemies will freeze on the spot when Sora hits them with ice.

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6. Balloon (Dream Drop Distance)

One of Sora's silliest (but most effective) spells in the Kingdom Hearts series is Balloon. Only featured in Dream Drop Distance, this spell causes a ton of unexpected damage toward your foes when struck, including major bosses. It's also quite thrilling to see the offensive balloons flying all over the arena. The game might have some of the worst worlds in the series, but Balloon is awesome to use.

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5. Aero (KH1)

Aero is an absolute godsend in the original Kingdom Hearts. Before it was turned into an offensive spell, Aero was used as a shield to protect Sora. You still take damage, but each attack struck on Sora while Aero is active is lessened significantly. This was helpful in bosses with attacks that are hard to avoid, like the Ursula battle and the Ansem (Xehanort's?? Heartless) final boss.

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4. Fire (KH1)

A spell that's iconic to Kingdom Hearts fans is Fire. It's the first that we unlock in the series and is still one of the best you can use. It causes a lot of damage, and its fireballs can be launched quickly one after the other. The spell looks particularly impressive in Kingdom Hearts 3 wit?h all of the fiery ??particle effects occurring in the modern game.

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3. Gravity / Zero Gravity (KH1 / Birth By Sleep)

One of the most useful spells in the original Kingdom Hearts is Gravity, renamed to Zero Gravity in Birth By Sleep. It takes bigger Heartless types and reduces their health almost to zero. For anyone who has ever ventured into Wonderland, you know how annoying the Battleship Heartless can be. It flies around Sora at a fast pace and then charges at the keyblade wielder. The Gravity spell can bring these ships down to earth. Utilizing this power of gravity to counteract these Heartless wit??h a big health meter is a good tactic to implement.

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2. Reflect (KH2)

Reflect is one of the coolest spells in gaming. It allows Sora to neutralize incoming a??ttacks and it can stack however long the game allows you to. Then, once you've finished Reflect, it will release a circle of white spell damage around the keyblade-wielding hero?. It made fighting bosses like Sephiroth easier, and it truly looks sick when you pull it off. Reflecting a big attack from the One-Winged Angel and other foes gives such a rush. It is overpowered, but man, Reflect was fun while we had it.

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1. Cure (KH1 and beyond)

The most important spell in the Kingdom Hearts series is Cure. It may be simple, but its healing properties are essential for every player to keep Sora alive. It can cancel out attacks if you have Leaf Bracer equipped, and a beautiful animation floats above Sora's head whenever he heals himself. It's usually of a flower. As you can see in the image above, Square Enix adds a nice touch to KH3's version with petals floating around the area.

The post Best Kingdom Hearts spells, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

These Disney worlds are not wishes your heart makes

The Kingdom Hearts ??series is known for its wondrous world design and impeccable recreation of Disney classics. However, as Sora strikes down the heartless one by one, the worlds he explores sometimes drag do?wn the whole experience. They make you wish you were just watching the movies that inspired them.

From Sora feeling like the third wheel in the world of Arendelle to playing arduous mini-games in 100 Acre Wood, here are the ten worst Kingdom Hearts worlds.

10. Prankster's Paradise (Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance)

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Pinocchio is one of the most cherished Disney classics, and yet Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance's interpretation of it is so forgettable. It's hard to remember a story element, boss, or landmark to find in this world. What saves it from being further dow??n the list is being able to rail over the rollercoaster track with the Flowmotion mechanic and the gorgeous music by Yoko Shimomura.

9. The Grid (Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance)

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While the Rinzler battle at the end of the world is exhilarating, the rest of The Grid is absolutely dull. The environments are unimaginative open spaces with dark lighting and little wonder behind the art design. The Tron world in Kingdom Hearts 2 was colorful, unique, and had intriguing areas to discover; it also has the light cycle mini-game that fits right into the canon of the world that Sora is stepping into. The repetitive electronic music in The Grid also gets irritating after ten minutes, and the storyline matters so l??ittle to the overall narrative. To add to all that,? the live-action actors like Jeff Bridges look creepy with their low-poly models in this 3DS game.

8. Deep Space (Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep)

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Lilo & Stitch is a beloved Disney film, and yet its world in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is lackluster. The reason? It's all set in the spaceship where Stitch is imprisoned. We don't get to expl?ore the sandy beaches of Hawaii and surf along the waves. No, we have to find our way through a bland white ship, an annoying vertical area that requires ??plenty of platforming (not one of the series' strengths), and an awkward pinball-like exterior section that feels out of place. The boss fight with Gantu in Ventus' playthrough also leaves much to be inspired.

7. San Fransokyo (Kingdom Hearts 3)

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San Fransokyo is a bad first impression of what Kingdom Hearts 4's Quadratum could be like. There is some neat Japanese-inspired architecture spread ?across the area, but it has so little to do. There aren't any side quests like cooking in a fast food restaurant or def??ending citizens from the heartless.  It's also jarring that the world has invisible walls with Hiro calling you via video chat every time to move out of the area.

The original concept art for San Fransokyo in Kingdom Hearts 3 had so much promise. The idea is that the Baymax from the end of the movie, left in an interdimensional rift out of powe?r, turns into a darker version of itself. The storyline in this world went for something way more forgettable, however. One of the few entertaining moments in this world is seeing Sora sitting alongside Hiro and his friends on the film's Asian interpretation of the Golden Gate Bridge. It had a neat flashback to Roxas hanging out with his friends with sea salt ice cream on the clock tower.

6. Arendelle (Kingdom Hearts 3)

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As one of the most successful Disney movies ever, Frozen was inevitably selected as a Kingdom Hearts 3 world, and it failed to impress during Sora's third adventure. The storyline within A??rendelle hardly includes Sora, as the Frozen characters barely interact with him. There's also a pointless recreation of the scene where Elsa sings "Let It Go." We could just watch the movie instead. Sora, Donald,? and Goofy don't even team up with the powerful princess and instead are stuck with a buff snowman lacking in personality as a party member.

Square Enix had to pad out the story with a confusing maze out of ice. The strange waymarking and level design wit??hin this area leave players scratching their heads before they eventually escape. While the snow does look beautiful in Kingdom Hearts? 3 with Sora leaving footprints on the ground, Arendelle felt like it was thrown in because it was mega popular rather than a well-rounded world to experience. At least the music stirs your heart as Sora ventures through this wintry landscape.

5. Monstro (Kingdom Hearts)

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Monstro is one of those Kingdom Hearts worlds that hasn't aged well. The insides of the whale are strung with untextured, alien-like blobs on the walls, and the overall level design makes you want to tear your hair out. The hallway placement is in a random manner as you traverse from chamber to chamber. It's hard to memorize which doorway goes where. This, mixed with the terrible camera in Kingdom Hearts, makes for an arduous experience.

While there's a lot of character development within this world for Riku and Sora, this is one part of the original game many fans grimace at the thought of.  The boss is also quite annoying as it poisons Sora whenever it touches the ground; thankfully, it's relatively eas?y if you use the Aero spell ?that helps defend the keyblade wielder.

4. 100 Acre Wood (Kingdom Hearts)

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While Winnie The Pooh is a childhood favorite for many, the Kingdom Hearts games make his adventures so boring. It's supposed to be the one area that you feel safe in and take a break from battling the heartless. On the other hand, there are some mini-games? that are time-consuming, irritating, or will make your brain go numb.

For example, the mini-game in which you're protecting Pooh from bees requires you to stand on a branch and strike the bees ?as they come by. This lasts for minutes, but it feels fi??ve times longer while playing it. These mini-games truly test your patience.

Thankfully, this world is completely skippable, but it will give you valuable resources if you complete each chapter within the 100 Acre Wood, like an upgraded Stop spell and the Bambi summon. What makes it worse is that you have to collect torn pages in hidden areas of the game to gain ??access to each location of the 1??00 Acre Wood.

3. Atlantica (Kingdom Hearts)

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Atlantica is commonly critiqued by the Kingdom Hearts fanbase, and for good reason. The controls ??feel awkward, your move set is limited due to Sora's new merman form, and both of Ursula's boss fights are annoying to deal with. In addition, getting around is awkward, especially towards the latter half of the world, where you have to ride a dolphin to get to Ursula. It's never explained in any of the cutscenes, and when you do find the dolphin, tons of enemies spawn around it before you can grab its tail.

Getting back to Ursula, she's the final boss of the Atlantica world, and, my gosh, she's a nuisance. The only? way to attack Ursula is by hitting her head, but she keeps casting spells that cause serious damage. Sometimes, it's really hard to avoid her incoming spells because of the awkward controls, and it's difficult to connect moves because of her frantic movement and Sora's limited move set. Atlantica truly is one of the worst Kingdom Hearts worlds in existence.

2. Disney Town (Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep)

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Mini-games are the scourge of the Kingdom Hearts series, and most of your time in this world is spent playing them. From janky volleyball with fruit to the kind of kart racing you'd expect from a cheap Mario Kart clone, Disney Town is a curse on Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. There's also a rhythm mini-game with Chip and Dale that feels out of sync. What makes it worse is that this sickly sweet world feels incredibly out of place within one of the darkest stories within the Kingdom Hearts canon. It's so bright, colorful, and silly that it doesn't match the tone Birth By Sleep is going for at all.

1. Deep Jungle (Kingdom Hearts)

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While Tarzan is a nostalgia blast from the tail-end of the Disney Renaissance era, Square Enix plagues fans' memories of the film with terrible level design. The game doesn't clearly tell you where to go to activate the next story element, and even after multiple playthroughs of Kingdom Hearts, you'll get lost in the manic nat??ure of Deep Jungle.

While the story is rock solid as it builds the relationship between Donald and Sora, ?Deep Jungle is simply a mess. Swinging around on the vines in this wor?ld is also awkward as you have to time your button presses between each jump. You'll fall many times due to the timing of these swings, the bad camera, and the strange jumps that Sora makes while platforming.

The post 10 worst Kingdom Hearts worlds, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Kingdom Hearts is light!

_{[Please extend a warm welcome to new freelance writer Sorrel Kerr-Jung! Sorrel has previously worked for entertainment sites such as Looper and CBR,  as well as writing for their local newspaper, they are now kicking the door down here at Destructoid by tackling the mightiest subject of all: Kingdom Hearts continuity. - Chris Moyse]}

It's tough to talk about Kingdom Hearts without mocking it in all the easiest ways. Yes, the basic idea of a Disney-themed JRPG developed by Square Enix is ridiculous. Yes, it's hilarious to watch Mickey Mouse look ??Squall Leonhart in the eye and ask him what he knows about the Door to Darkness. Yes, Goofy has done battle with Sephiroth, yes, Maleficent loves to time travel, and yes, you'd better believe that Donald Duck is canonically stronger than Bahamut. All of these things are true.

But here's the secret: all of these things are also great. I love Kingdom Hearts for its ardent refusal to go the easy route. It absolutely rules that, when granted the adaptational rights to Disney's catalog of revered classics, Square Enix chose to invent a world and imbue it with a ridiculous amount of unintelligible lore. Kingdom Hearts could have been a phoned-in, simple (and clean) series of licensed Disney games for kids. Instead, it's a franchise comprised of some of the best action RPGs ever made. Featuring Tinker Bell. Not every Kingdom Hearts game is created equally, though �and there are a lot of Kingdom Hearts games. So, here's every Kingdom Hearts game (inc?luding t??he ones that aren't really games), ranked from worst to best.

Kingdom Hearts χ/Dark Road

Right out the gate, I'm already cheating a little. In some ways, this entry actually covers three games �there's Kingdom Hearts χ, a browser game that was only ever released in Japan, Kingdom Hearts Union χ, a mobile-exclusive sequel that's also kind of a remake that was released worldwide a few years later, and Kingdom Hearts Dark Road, a largely separate story that's accessed from within the Union χ app. To look at things from another perspective?, though, this entry also covers zero games.

Kingdom Hearts χ and Union χ are both totally unplayable in 2022, as servers for both titles have been taken offline. The only way to officially experience the story is to trudge through the comically terrible cutscene collection available in the Union χ ?app, preferably with a guide at the rea?dy since the cutscenes aren't arranged in any remotely logical order.

It's a shame given that the χ storyline digs into the Keyblade War, one of the more interesting and important periods in Kingdom Hearts' history. Dark Road gets a slight bump for the fact that it's still technically playable (sans online), but, honestly, the gameplay just barely counts as "gameplay," and it doesn't resemble the action RPG combat found in t?he other games at all. There's some neat insig??ht into series antagonist Xehanort's history here, but it's surrounded by headaches.

Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth By Sleep - A Fragmentary Passage

There's really not much to say about A Fragmentary Passage. As the title suggests, it's not a full game; it's more of a brief prelude to Kingdom Hearts 3. By the time A Fragmentary Passage came out, most of the (many, many) pieces of Kingdom Hearts 3's massive puzzle were already in place, so this one doesn't add too much to the narrative. For the most part, it's just an excuse to check-in on Aqua, a fan-favorite character from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep.

A Fragmentary Passage utilizes the excellent combat system found in Kingdom Hearts 3, so it's naturally pretty pleasant to play. It's also got a rudimentary character customization system, something Kingdom Hearts isn't exactly known for. It gives Aqua something to do and fleshes out her character quite handily, but the?? whole thing is over so quickly that it's hard to care too much about ?any of it.

Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover

Thankfully, the miserable cutscene theater in the Union χ app is not the only way to get a bit of insight into the χ story. Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, a one-hour movie that was included in the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue compilation, takes place during the events of the original browser game. It's not a complete recap of that game's events, but it is a pretty decent whodunnit mystery that gives some much-needed identity to the Foretellers, a group of string-pulling weirdos central to Kingdom Hearts χ's plot.

Back Cover is actually a fairly good time, and it features what might be a career-be??st performance from Ray Chase as the Master of Masters, the guy who pulls the strings on the string-pullers. Unfortunately, there are a few things that are holding it back from climbing any higher on this particular list. First, of course, is that it isn't a video game �the only reason I'm including it on this list at all is that it was technically released on a PlayStation 4 disc.

Second is that it was produced while the story of Union χ was still ongoing, so it can't act as a meaningful substitute for that darn cutscene theater. The most important reason Back Cover is condemned to the far reaches of this ranking, though, is that there's absolutely no Disney content to be seen here. Later Kingdom Hearts games are often criticized for sidelining Disney characters, but Back Cover excises them entirely. The idea of a Kingdom Hearts mystery is a very fun one, but the movie doesn't feel very Kingdom Hearts at all.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Hear me out here: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is not a great game. This Nintendo DS side story is focused entirely on Roxas, the main playable character for the first several hours of Kingdom Hearts 2. Roxas is the series protagonist Sora's "Nobody", a kind of zombie that comes into being when a person becomes a Heartless. If?? those proper nouns ar??e making your head spin, you haven't seen anything yet.

358/2 Days is a prequel focused on Roxas' time with Organization XIII, the antagonistic group that gave Sora a hard time in Kingdom Hearts 2. The game represents a so-so effort at bringing the Kingdom Hearts formula to the DS. While it introduces some formally interesting elements to the series, including a Monster Hunter-ish mission system, moment-to-moment combat is a slog. It's also got far and away the most co?nvoluted plot of any of these titles �no small feat for a series like this �and it's a bit difficult to get at all invested in the supposed tragedy of it all.

Kingdom Hearts Coded

Coded began life as a mobile game released in episodes, and the story certainly feels like that of an episodic mobile adventure. It's much smaller than the other epic tales in the Kingdom Hearts series, t??aking place almost entirely in a parallel data world. Most of this game is a retread of events from previous games, and it's not always entirely obvious how it factors into the broader saga, but honestly, that miniature scale is a bit refreshing at times.

The best version of Coded is definitely the DS release. It does a much better job of translating Kingdom Hearts to the DS than 358/2 Days, and it's nice to play a Kingdom Hearts game that both feels good and isn't all that heady. Like everything else in the series, it's pretty much nonsensical (the data world exists inside of a paper journal, but everything inside of it is apparently digital, and it's not entirely clear who is in which world at any moment), but it's not all that important. Also, come on. Kingdom Hearts in the Matrix is pretty cool.

Kingdom Hearts

I know, I know. Keeping the original Kingdom Hearts this far from first place is blasphemous. It's a classic. It's the game that started it all. Here's the thing - Kingdom Hearts should actually be lower on this list. I'm giving it a huge boost based on the importance of blazing a trail. Truth be told, Kingdom Hearts is not a great game. It's a total rough draft of what the series would eventually become. The foundations are ??here, but boy, they're pretty shaky.

Kingdom Hearts is an action game from 2002, and twenty years later, knowing what we know about action game design, it is not fun to go back to. The camera flails about like it's been taped to the end of a mace during regular combat, and during boss fights, it only gets worse. It also contains the worst version of the worst mini-game in the form of the Gummi Ship. There is, of course, lots to love in the original Kingdom Hearts; it's still got some of the best Disney worlds in the series, the story is relatively simple for the first and las??t time, and it introduces the ridiculously imaginative world and lovable characters that define the rest of the series. It's just... not that good.

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep

Birth By Sleep is a bit of a black sheep in the Kingdom Hearts canon. It features an almost entirely original cast, swapping Sora and co. for a new trio of heroes: Aqua, Terra, and Ventus. Actually, Ventus is kind of Sora, but that's a story for another time. Aqua and Terra are fledgling Keyblade wielders training under Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort about a decade before the events of the original Kingdom Hearts. This is the game where the lore of Kingdom Hearts became basically incomprehensible, establishing the Keyblade as a lightsa??ber-style emblem of some ancient group of noble warriors (fittingly, Eraqus is voiced by one Mark Hamill).

All that convoluted lore is supported by a pretty charming central cast of three heroes, each of whom gets their own campaign that feeds into one central narrative. It's kind of like Kingdom Hearts by way of NieR:Automata, and it's as odd and compelling as that sounds. Birth By Sleep is also, in some ways, Kingdom Hearts' finest "tragedy," focusing on characters who genuinely fail and suffer in the process. It's the first game that makes Xehanort a truly compelling villain, and it expands the scope of Kingdom Hearts to a truly exciting degree. Add to that the fact that this one has a Lilo and Stitch world and yeah, it's pretty good.

Kingdom Hearts 3

Oh, Kingdom Hearts 3, you lovable mess. This culmination of the franchise's first major narrative arc almost certainly bit off more than it could chew. It's the kind of game that always had to be everything for everyone, and it ended up being only one thing for one very specific group of people: a really good game for Kingdom Hearts super fans. As a Kingdom Hearts super fan, I'm here to confirm t?hat, yes, th??is is a really good game.

Kingdom Hearts 3 doesn't totally work. It attempts to resolve every major plot line introduced up to that point, and there's no shortage of major plot lines in Kingdom Hearts. Still, when KH3 works, it works really well. It's constantly paying off beats established literal decades before, and the game seems so excited about that fact that it's hard for players to resist being pulled in. It even briefly made me care about Kingdom Hearts χ. The combat utilizes elements of every game in the series, adding a few new pieces of its own to create what is, if not the best, certainly the largest action game combat system ever made, and the story, while disjointed and messy, really does give every major player a chance to shine. It's messy around the edges and a little too big for its ideas, but it might be the best version of Kingdom Hearts 3 I could have asked for.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

Chain of Memories was the game that taught players what to expect out of Kingdom Hearts. At the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2, Sora is chilling in an egg in somebody's basement. Why? To get that answer, you need to play the Game Boy Advance spinoff. Lesson learned: no Kingdom Hearts spinoff is skippable, and Chain of Memories might be the least skippable of them all.

Picking up right where the original Kingdom Hearts left off, Chain of Memories follows Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they adventure through Castle Oblivion, slowly losing their memories as they go. A lot of the worlds in this one are reskinned versions of worlds from the first game �handily, Sora doesn't remember that first game, so most of his dialogue can remain unaltered �but the broader plot is both totally original and deeply compelling. This is where Organization XIII, the Nobodies, and the all-important friendship between Riku and Mickey Mouse were introduced. It's also got one of my personal favorite Kingdom Hearts mechanics, a charming deckb??uilding system that hasn't returned since. There's a pretty decent PS2 remake, but for?? my money, you ought to play this on GBA.

Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory

One of the best things about Kingdom Hearts is the music. Over the last twenty years, legendary composer Yoko Shimomura has been accompanied by a bevy of brilliant musicians, including Japanese-American pop star Hikaru Utada, and the series has amassed the best collective soundtrack a gaming franchise could ask ??for. What better way to celebrate all that excellent music than with a rhythm game?

Melody of Memory isn't really a Kingdom Hearts game in the usual sense. There's no real combat, not many RPG elements, and barely any ridiculously convoluted lore. It's mostly just a straightforward rhythm game designed to celebrate the series' music. Thankfully, the series' music is ridiculously good. Developed by Theatrhythm Final Fantasy developer indieszero, Melody of Memory really is an excellent rhythm game, and a great excuse to listen to the Tr??averse Town theme again. And again. And again.

Kingdom Hearts 2

Most people would pretty confidently call Kingdom Hearts 2 the best Kingdom Hearts game. Maybe most people are right! It is a pretty exceptional game. The combat is deep a??nd in?volved without becoming ridiculously complex, the story is pleasantly silly but still coherent enough for its emotional beats to land, and it remains one of the best-looking PlayStation 2 games ever made.

It's tough to say anything negative about Kingdom Hearts 2. It strikes the perfect balance between the silly, convoluted mess of JRPG lore that Kingdom Hearts would become and the saccharine, endearing crossover that Kingdom Hearts was always sold as. I don't think it's the best Kingdom Hearts game, but there's a good?? chance that it is the ?most perfect.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance

This is a weird pick for the top spot, but I promise I can explain. Kingdom Hearts has always been a story about maturing. The very first game is the tale of two boys who have never left home being thrust into the wider world, and being forced to contend with darkness. On one side, there's Sora, who finds the outside world exciting. On the other side, there's Riku, who finds his home stifling. They both want to see everything, but one is optimistic, where the other is cynical. Riku contends with that cynicism for the entire game, ??while Sora thrives with that optimism.

In Dream Drop Distance, Sora and Riku finally find out what kinds of people they've become. Sora has followed the arc that was always set for him - he's gone from JRPG protagonist to cartoon character. In this game, he's the most cartoonish and lovable he's ever been. Riku, meanwhile, has grown into something resembling an actual adult. He's not addicted to the novelty of new experiences the way Sora is, but he also no longer resents his own life the way he used to. He wants to take care of his friends, and he wants to preserve the almost-ordinary world he's built with them. Sora might be the hero of Kingdom Hearts, but Riku, at long last?, is the hero of his own story.

Does it help that Dream Drop Distance has the best combat in any Kingdom Hearts game? Sure. Is it nice that there's a creature-collecting system featuring some of the cutest guys of all time? Of course. But at the end of the day, Dream Drop Distance is my favorite Kingdom Hearts game because it is the fullest realization of Kingdom Hearts. In its own weird way, Kingdom Hearts is about growing up. In Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts grows up.

The post Every Kingdom Hearts game, Ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

It's the Deal of the Day, so act quickly!

I don't know what it is about Square Enix games, but they always feel like they cost too damn much. This is especially true of the handheld titles -- I refused to pick up Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy for $39.99, waiting instead until? Game??Stop threw a half-off sale on Square titles.

If you've been on the fence regarding Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (starring Jeff Bridges!), Best Buy has marked it down to $9.99 as ??its Deal of the D??ay. Order it online, pick it up at the store, do something, because it's kind of a limited thing, ya know?

I'm quite surprised to learn that Destructoid never actually reviewed Dream Drop Distance. However, Chris Carter did play it as part of his massive Kingdom Hearts retrospective, and he found it to be one of his favorite ?ent??ries in the series. That's some high praise!

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_{[Editor's note: Hailing from Norway, Audun Sorlie is not only passionate about game music as an editor on OSV and writer for various magazines around the world, but he's also a big Kingdom Hearts fan. To commemorate the release upcoming of Dream Drop Distance, he's been in touch with the game's three composers about the project. Join us in checking out what they had to say.]}

For over ten years, the Kingdom Hearts franchise has filled players with a diversity of emotions, combining characters from Square Enix's roster with the vibrant and dynamic worlds of Disney and providing one of the most popular adventures to be experienced in the last decade. It is especially through the games' soundtracks and Yoko Shimomura’s sensitive yet bold melodies that Kingdom Hearts finds a? place in millions of hearts around the world.

Over the course of years, Shimomura was joined by Square Enix's Takeharu Ishimoto and Tsuyoshi Sekito. The three of them took time to chat with us and share their memories, their feelings on the music, and their experience of working with Nintendo 3DS hardware for the first time in the series to celebrate the upcoming Dream Drop Distance.

Yoko Shimomura (studio midiplex)
Role: Composer
Selected Past Works: Street Fighter II, Parasite Eve, Legend of Mana, Radiant Historia, Kingdom Hearts

On ten years of Kingdom Hearts and the vital role her music has played

I am delighted to hear my music has been vital to the success of the series. These ten years flew by very quickly. Kingdom Hearts has allowed me to experience lots of moments both sweet and bittersweet. Despite the different circumstances, I was always involved with Kingdom Hearts one way or another during these ten years. Kingdom Hearts me?ans a lot to me and it is a huge part of my life.

On reuniting with composers Tsuyoshi Sekito and Takeharu Ishimoto

Perhaps the director chooses which songs work best for each of us. But? sometimes I can be selfish and request if I can work on specific songs (laughs)

On the challenge faced when creating new songs versus referring back to fan favorites

I put a lot of care into keeping the overall image consistent, even if the song’s arrangement changed drastically. So when working on the song, if I ??felt something was not right I started all over without hesitation (laughs). I always try to put myself in the players’ shoes and try to be mindful of how people would want to hear past songs.

On the impact of the Nintendo 3DS hardware on her approach and compositions

The 3DS hardware is truly brilliant. In the past for Nintendo handheld games I’ve always used the internal sound source to compose. This time, I was able to use a streaming source which enabled me to compose music in a higher quality, which I am very happy ??about. I didn’t particularly change the way?? I used sound in the game at this time, but I think it will be a good idea to pursue trying out new types of BGM in the future.

On her favorite pieces from the Dream Drop Distance soundtrack

I hope you’ll forgive me for saying this, but I have a difficult time answering this type of question. For me, all songs are like my children, and it’s hard for me to pick just one song and talk about it. Sorry.

Tsuyoshi Sekito (Square Enix)
Role: Composer
Selected Past Works: Chrono Trigger (PlayStation), The Last Remnant, performer? in The B??lack Mages and many Square Enix releases

On ten years of Kingdom Hearts and his experiences with the series

I worked on some of the songs for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. I am happy to hear that this year marks the ten-year anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts series and at the same time I recognize how widely the series has been?? supported by fans around the world. I would be honored i?f given the chance to work on the series again, and I would like to engage in the project with this great responsibility in mind.

On being reunited with composers Yoko Shimomura and Takeharu Ishimoto

With regards to delegating work, I didn’t have any meetings with Shimomura-san. Primarily, decisions were made during my meetings ??with the team. In these meetings, depending on the situation, I also discussed things ?like “Do I write new songs?,” “Should I do any music arrangements?,” and “Will it be better to have additional songs?,” etc.

On the impact of the Nintendo 3DS hardware on his approach and compositions

Including 3D visual effects, there was so much expressive power that it was difficult for me to believe it was for a handheld game device. As such, I also tried to create songs with a fair amount of scale sensitivity. In this particular project, this is especially true of colorful and speedy songs for Dream Eater battles and Dive Mode. I feel that I was able to better emphasize a l?arger scale of the worl??d without worrying about the the small game screen on the portable device. So far, there have been no unforeseen challenges (laughs).

On his favorite pieces from the Dream Drop Distance soundtrack

Since I am emotionally attached to all the songs, it’s difficult to choose one song … but if I had to choose one, I’d say I enjoyed ”Ice-hot Lobster” the most in the beginning. Now with the game released, after listening to all the songs, “Majestic Wings” is one of my favorites. When listening to it individually it sounds simple, but after listening to a series of several other songs it sounds more free and bold? and it gives me energy (laughs).

Takeharu Ishimoto (Square Enix)
Role: Composer
Selected Past Works: The World Ends With You, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Dissidia series, Kingdom hearts: Birth by Sleep

On ten years of Kingdom Hearts and his experiences with the series

When you say it’s ten years, I realize time flies. The Kingdom Hearts series has played ??a big role in my per??sonal growth since I’ve been involved with it, even before I started working on the music composition for the series.

On being reunited with composers Yoko Shimomura and Tsuyoshi Sekito

The project team sent both Sekito-san and me a list of songs ahead of time. When I saw TRON on the list, I told them I would work on it. As for THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU, it’s not li??ke we could’ve had? Sekito-san work on it, so I’ve gone ahead and handled it myself.

On his arrangements of the three tracks from The World Ends With You

It wasn’t that I tried to fit them into the Kingdom Hearts sound. They’re pop songs to begin with, so I figured I would arrange in a way that’s right for ever??yone.

On the impact of the Nintendo 3DS hardware on her approach and compositions

I actually didn&rs??quo;t re?ally think about it (laughs).

On his favorite piece from the Dream Drop Distance soundtrack

I would say “TWISTER.”

__

You can read our review of the Dream Drop Distance soundtrack here and purchase it from CD Japan. 

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Square Enix sends word of these pre-order bonus augmented reality cards, given out while supplies last with your order of upcoming 3DS game Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. The AR cards will allow the unlocking of rare Dream Eaters as well as a viewing stand that allows you to take a closer l?ook at said Eaters from any angle. 

T?here are three AR cards in the bundle. One gives you the viewing stand, another unlocks Dream Eater R&R Seal, and the last gives you a random pick from three: Ursa Circus, Sudo Neku or Meowjesty.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance will be rel??eased on July 31, 2012, so you still have some time to get a pre-order in.

??And speaking of bonuses, we have one for you today: new screenshot?s of Traverse Town, the first playable world in the game.

The post ??Ki??ngdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance pre-order AR cards appeared first on Destructoid.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance has Jeff Bridges. Boom. End of preview.

...

Fine, I'll tell you more?? about the rest of the game.

As you may have heard previously, Kingdom Hearts 3D for the 3DS features many new Disney worlds to explore, including The Grid from Tron: Legacy. During my hands-on at PAX, I was able to play a?? build set in The Grid, to get a feel for the new battle mechanics, and to meet Sora and Riku's newest allies.

According to the story, Sora and Riku must pass through a series of trials before they can become true Keyblade Masters. They must save the various Disney worlds from the threat of the Dream Eaters, the ?newest antagonists replacing the Heartless and Nobo??dies from the previous entries.

There are two types of Dream Eaters: Nightmares and Spirits. Obviously, Nightmares are the baddies, whereas Spirits are your friends. In fact, Spirits serve as your AI partners in this game, replacing Donald and Goofy, as well as introducing a Pokémon-esque monster raising twist. I was really disappointed to see these freaky little pinkish blobs tailing behind me through my adventure, but h??opefully, the dynamic duo pop up later down the road.

So here I am on The Grid, smacking foes with my Keyblade and collecting experience orbs. The fighting is pretty similar to previous titles in the series, with the exception of a new technique that allows you to quickly dash through the air, stick to a wall, then r??????????????????????????ebound down a different direction. This ability helps speed up the flow of the game and opens up new aerial offensive maneuvers, but the handling takes a little getting used to -- while zooming around, movement is a li?ttle finicky.

For my demo, I only got to play as Sora. Apparently, both Sora and Riku are off on their own separate but linked adventures, but you can only play as one at a time. A timer in the bottom corner of the screen lets you know how much longer before your current session ends, after which you'll immediately start playing as the other character. Points you accrue during one play session can be spent to enhance the abilities of the other player for the duration of his session. Once that session is finished, you'll return right back to where you left off with the first guy. It sounds a bit confusing, but think?? of it as a single pers?on shuttling two cars down the highway.

Now let's talk about Jeff Bridges.

The characters from the movie -- Kevin and Sam Flynn, Quorra, CLU, Rinzler a.k.a. Tron -- are all here in surprisingly great detail??. There is an element of exaggeration in their features, but the character models are pretty damn impressive. This was a Japanese build, so the voices weren't in English. I don't think Jeff Bridge's Japanese VA fit him all that well -- Jeff is very mellow and chill, but this dude was very gruff and deep. It was so bizarre, but really cool at the same time.

Whatever, though. You get to fight alongside El Duderino h??imself! And with CLU, you get younger Jeff Bridges absolutely free!

Speaking of the voice cast, the English one hasn't been formally announced yet, but Haley Joel Osment is definitely coming back. I ??don't know how that will work, given that the guy is in his 20s and probably doesn't sound like a squeaky, bright-eyed youth with high hopes and aspirations anymore. I guess that's what sound editing is for.

Kingdom Hearts 3D is set? for a July 31 launch date in the US. Play it because Jeff Bridges.

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How dare we post the latest Kingdom Hearts news witho??ut posting the latest trailer! We are complete failures at journalism!

The above eight-minute behemoth was first shown during the recent Jump Festa in Japan. In addition to Square Enix's trademark "portable game trailers get stupid, distracting borders" video style, you get to see a lot of new worlds for the upcoming Dream Drop Distance. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Three Musketeers, Tron: Legacy, and Pinocchio all get represented, and the entire main cast of The World Ends With You even pop in to share a few words with our heroes Sora and R??iku. It also seems like there is some kind of animal-raising minigame this time around.

Oh, and don't forget the requisite instrume?ntal of "Hikari"! Seriously, they need to come up with a new theme song.

Kingdom Hearts 3DS gets a huge, 8 minute trailer [Japanator]

The post Guzzle down this massive Kingdom Hearts 3D trail??er appeared first on Destructoid.

Square Enix has a Christmas gift for Kingdom Hearts fans. Today, they announce that 3DS title Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance is coming to North America and Europe next year.

It's Square Enix meets Disney again, now with new worlds, new gameplay elements, new enemies and allies, and fancy pants 3D visuals. In it you'll be able to play as either of the series' top protagonists, Riku or Sora. This is a key chapter for the franchise, and direc?tor&nbs?p;Tetsuya Nomura said he wanted it on the 3DS to "discover new realms of possibility."

It's confirmed for 2012, and I??'m sure we'll see the narrowing down of ??that date in the coming months.

For now, check out the new ??screenshots in our gallery.

The post Annou??nced for US: Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance appeared first on Destructoid.

The console entries in the Kingdom Hearts series contain some fond memories for me (despite their flaws), but I've found the porta??ble  sequels to be a bit underwhelming. So much of the series' appeal lays in exploring the world of Disney and characters of Square Enix -- something that the limitations of the PSP and DS got in the way of. They just felt a little too?? miniature for their own good.

While I'd prefer a full-blown next-gen sequel, the graphical capabilities of the 3DS returns the visual flair of the series. Exploring the world of Kingdom Hearts has all the flair and Disney magic that has been missing from the series lately. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance resembles the greatness the series once achieved, even if it's anothe??r portable sequel with a terrible subtitle.

The brief TGS demo showed off the game's tweaked combat system and some new locations. The first portion of the demo has the player taking on the role of Sara, exploring Traverse Town (the first city in the original Kingdom Hearts). Since the demo was in Japanese, ??I can't accurately explain the context of everything but you guys should know something very important: This game pairs you with a panda and a giant cat. I'm not?? sure why, but I'm completely fine with this. Ecstatic, actually.

Kingdom Hearts 3D introduces the new Social Link system which lets you turn your companions int??o powerful panda or cat beasts that deal out ??massive damage to enemies. While turning the panda into a spinning ballerina of death and projecting him via catapult is pretty neat, riding a giant bouncing cat might make this a day-one-purchase for me.

Another new addition to the series is the dash button that lets the player traverse quickly across the screen and jump up buildings like a ninja. You can also use light posts to swing on and off to get the drop on an enemy. I don’t think Kingdom Hearts needs to be any more manic, but, surprisingly, it works pretty well. It's not exactly Ninja Gaiden, but th??e ??sense of speed and improved maneuverability give this entry a unique feel.

Exploring Notre Dame with Riku, during the demo's second scenario, confirmed to me that Kingdom Hearts 3D may?? very well bring back the quality of the original console releases and make the series relevant to non-diehard fans again. We'll have to wait until later next year to know for sure, although the game will come out in Japan in Spring -- in case you want to get your fat bouncing cat on ??a bit early.

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