Opening Menu

The Opening menu (or Start-Up Menu) is normally one of the first things the player sees upon starting up a video game, and is usually the first aspect of the game to require the players imput.

In the Kingdom Hearts series, this menu typically consists of the games logo and options for the player to pick from, both accompanied by a piece of artwork on a white (sometimes black) screen, and an arrangement of "Dearly Beloved" playing in the background.

Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts Final Mix

• In Kingdom Hearts, the artwork is of Sora standing in the ocean with a fish skeleton hanging from his mouth while holding a stick. The player is given the option of starting a new game or loading an existing save file.
• In Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, the artwork has been changed to an image of Sora standing with his hood up and holding a large flag. A third menu option is added that allows the player to view a trailer of the then-upcoming Final Fantasy X-2.
  • In the HD remaster, the trailer option is replaced with a "Back" option, which returns the player to the overall collection screen.
  • In the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version of the remaster, players can also access the games Theater Mode from the menu. Additionally in the PlayStation 4 version, this also requires downloading the DLC patch.

Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix

• In Kingdom Hearts II, the artwork is of Sora standing in the ocean with a partially-eaten sea-salt ice cream hanging from his mouth. The player is given the option of starting a new game or loading an existing save file.
• In Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, the artwork has been changed to Sora and Roxas sitting on an invisible platform eating sea salt ice cream together on a sunset backdrop. The player can access Theater Mode from the menu upon clearing the game.
  • In the HD remaster, a "Back" option, which returns the player to the overall collection screen, is added to the options.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix

• Both versions of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep have four alternate menu screens that change depending on the players choices.
  • If the player starts up the game with no game save files on their system, the artwork is that of the games cover artwork (on both respective versions). The menu also reverts to this artwork if the players most recently loaded save file was that of the final episode.
  • The menu changes to focus on either Terra, Aqua, or Ventus' artwork depending on which of their respective save files where recently loaded by the player. The artworks in question are, again, from the respective boxarts of the two versions.
  • On both menus, the player has the option of starting a new game, loading an existing save file, and, upon clearing at least one of the three characters stories, access to the Trinity Archives.
  • The HD remaster of Final Mix adds a "Back" option, which returns the player to the overall collection screen.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD

• The artwork is of a sleeping Sora diving downwards with Mickey diving after him and an awake Riku rising upwards.
• The player has the option of starting a new game or loading a previous save file.
• Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD adds the option to return to the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue menu.

Kingdom Hearts χ, Kingdom Hearts Union χ, and Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover

• Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover has the artwork consist of the Foretellers overlooking Daybreak Town. The player has the option to start the movie from the beginning, select a specific chapter, read bios of the characters, or return to the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue menu.

Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-

• The artwork features an in-game graphic of Aqua near the Castle Town.
• The player has the option to continue from an existing save file, start a new game, load a past save file, configure their controls, access Theater Mode, or return to the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue menu.

Kingdom Hearts III

• The artwork is of Sora walking in the waves while holding a paopu fruit, which is bitten.
• In Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind, the artwork changes to Sora and Kairi standing in the waves with paopu fruits in their hands.
• The player has the option to start a new game, continue from their most recent save file, load a past save file, configure their controls, access the Memory Archives, Theater Mode and tutorials under a "Special" tab, or go to the PlayStation Store on the PlayStation 4 version or Microsoft Store on the Xbox One version. A message labeled "Before You Stream..." can also be accessed with . Prior to version 1.06, the "Special" tab's contents were listed individually on the opening menu. In Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind, the player can also access a "Downloadable Content" tab and choose to play the Re Mind, Limitcut Episode, or Secret Episode scenarios, or access Data Greeting, a Slideshow feature, or a live recording of Kingdom Hearts Orchestra -World of Tres- under an "Orchestra" tab.

Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory

• The artwork is of Kairi sitting in a throne surrounded by memories of the series' protagonists.
• The player's only option is to press any button to start the game.

HD Compilations

• For all three of the HD Collections players can choose which game they wish to play which are listed horizontally from left to right.
  • The order for Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX is Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days.
  • The order for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX is Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, and Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded.
  • The order for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue is Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD, Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-, and Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover.
• Below the games has a credits section which has lists the official credits for that particular HD Compilation set and an Extras section for being able to switch the wallpaper format for the main menu of the PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 system. These are unlocked by completing each game individually with each wallpaper design based off the theme from each game.
• For the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX compilation, the six games in this set are listed vertically from up to down on the left side of the screen with the games from the 1.5 set listed first, followed by the ones from the 2.5 set.
  • Below this are the credits from both compilation sets with the ones from 1.5 listed under "Credits 1.5" and the credits from the 2.5 listed under "Credits 2.5" and an Extras section which can allow the player to access the wallpaper design from the original compilation games to change the wallpaper format for the PlayStation 4's main menu once each game is completed individually.
  • For the Xbox One version of this compilation, "Extras" was replaced with "Screen Options" for adjusting the screen.