Kingdom Hearts (PlayStation 2, 2002)

Nothing compares. Kingdom Hearts, developed by Square Enix, is simply phenomenal. I first came across this game when I was in second grade, and (amazingly) still love it today.

The story follows a young boy named Sora (voiced by acting veteran Haley Joel Osment). He lives on a tranquil island with his friends Riku and Kairi, but dreams of visiting other worlds and embarking on new adventures. One day, he gets his wish, and is whisked away to the homely Traverse Town. There, he meets two new friends (Disney's Donald Duck and Goofy). And so, their journey together begins. But it won't be smooth sailing. Can Sora, with the help of his friends, stop the evil beasts known as Heartless, and find the missing Riku and Kairi? With the strength of Sora's newfound Keyblade, it just might be possible. In the game, there is an interesting combination of Final Fantasy, (Cloud, Leon, Tidus, and others make appearances) and the colorful characters of Disney (Donald, Goofy, KIng Mickey Mouse, and many others).

The only minor gripe I have about this game is the graphics. They're good, but could be better. A lot of the characters look rather robotic, and not truly lifelike. On the other hand, the music is terrific, especially the original melodies composed solely for the game. They are very excellent, very moving.

The gameplay, also, is easy to learn, and fun once you do. Rather than using the X button to jump, (such is common in video games) you use the O button, which is a refreshing change. X is used to attack. In addition, you have an array of magic spells that you can make Sora cast, which will definitely kill some Heartless. This continues the Final Fantasy tradition.

Tournaments are a Kingdom Hearts pro as well. There are four of them, all held at Olympus Coliseum: the Phil Cup, Pegasus Cup, Hercules Cup, and (the most challenging) Hades Cup. Once you start one of those tournaments, you'll find yourself hooked on battling Heartless, round after exciting round.

But the game's true high point is the story. Some of the voice acting is not entirely realistic, but that actually enhances the engaging power of Kingdom Hearts's overall plot. It just gives the game this light, but powerful, feeling, like it's unsurpassed. It's really hard to explain. But, no matter how you look at it, you'll no doubt find that Kingdom Hearts is a truly great game. You won't find quality quite like this anywhere else.

MY FINAL SCORES:

Graphics: 4/5

Music: 5/5

Story: 5/5

Fun: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

CONCLUSION: A phenomenal game, well worth even the shy gamer's time. And since Kingdom Hearts II is already out, and a third game could possibly be released, the brilliant saga can continue.

NOTES: To unlock a special scene after the game's end credits, just do three things:

-Seal the Keyhole to every world (including Olympus Coliseum and 100 Acre Wood)
-Win the Hades Cup
-Recover all 99 dalmatian puppies (you can find them in various treasure chests scattered across worlds)

Trust me, the special scene is really cool (and it's not the one that shows Sora, Donald, and Goofy chasing Pluto down that pathway).