Racing Riku

Sora and Riku before the start of the race.

Racing Riku (ビーチレース, Bīchi Rēsu, lit. "Beach Race") is a mini-game in the original Kingdom Hearts involving racing Riku around the island. It takes place on Destiny Islands during the second day. After the islands are destroyed, you are unable to play this game.

Objective

The objective is to beat Riku in a race to Kairi. This adds on to the Sora and Riku scoreboard. Each time, Sora wins he will receive a Pretty Stone which is worth 30 munny.

Course

The star-shaped tree.

The course runs through the cove of Destiny Islands where a zip-line can be taken or the long route towards a star-shaped tree and then back. The star will glow once the half marker has been reached. Players cannot cheat by hitting Riku as use of the Wooden Sword is disabled. Riku may take the zipline if Sora blocks his path, but at certain intervals of the race Riku will walk instead of run.

Strategy

First, make your way across the wooden platforms. Be careful, as one of them will fall if stepped on. Although this step can be useful, jump as soon as you step on the platform, if the timing's correct, Riku will fall instead, slowing him down. Next, climb up the ladder and zip-line down. This should put you in the lead, but don't get cocky. Hurry over to the star-shaped tree and touch it. Now turn around and jump on the tops of the trees. This is the hardest part and takes a lot of patience. Jump from treetop to treetop, making your way to the side of the tower. Finally, run across the platforms towards Kairi.

Alternatively, instead of going across the wooden platforms, hop down from the starting point and run through the water to the other side and continue across the beach. Once you reach the slope jump onto the first ledge followed by the second ledge and proceed to platform your way to the star shaped tree. This should put you in the lead. Now, drop down and make your way back across the beach, jump up the ledge, then use either the wooden platforms or go through the water to get back to Kairi. This method requires less precise platforming, but allows Riku to run unimpeded, requiring Sora to be as fast as possible to win.

After winning the race, Sora will receive a Pretty Stone.

Trivia

• This is technically the first non-battle Mini-Game in the entire Kingdom Hearts series.
• This also determines what the Gummi Ship will be named in Kingdom Hearts. Highwind is the default name if Riku wins, but Sora can choose a name at the beginning and if he wins, the name he picks becomes the name of the first gummi ship.
  • Riku winning seems to be the canon outcome, as the ship is referred to as the Highwind by default in Kingdom Hearts II.
• The name, "Highwind", is a reference to the airship of the same name from Final Fantasy VII.
• When playing this game, the Wooden Sword is missing and so is the command menu. All Sora can do is walk, run and jump using the left analog stick and ( in the Japanese version and Kingdom Hearts Final Mix).