My time with Kingdom Hearts
Unlike some people, I've been with Kingdom Hearts ever since the beginning. I immediately fell in love with Kingdom Hearts after getting it for birthday, only about 2 months after its release. After finishing it, I craved more of the lovable characters, exceptional story, creative art, and wonderful worlds.
I wouldn't have to wait too long until Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories came out and I fell in love all over again. The new story, new battle system, and new characters felt right and satisfied my hunger for more Kingdom Hearts. Again, upon finishing, I knew it would only be a matter of time before another installment came out.
As I browsed every site online looking for more Kingdom Hearts-related news, I soon discovered Kingdom Hearts II was in progress and was absolutely overjoyed. Everything about the game looked promising and it was the first true sequel to the game I considered the best of my generation a few years sooner. For the next few months, I was on the internet almost constantly when not in school looking at the multiple fan-made sites commenting and predicting everything about Kingdom Hearts II. I still remember when pictures of Roxas surfacing and everyone referring to him as the 'Blonde-Haired Kid' or BHK. As time went on and the day of release got closer, I was getting more and more excited. I then realized that this series had changed my world and the world of gaming to me and this only proved more so once I finally got Kingdom Hearts II on the day of release. It's one day I'll never forget. After finishing Kingdom Hearts II, I was awestruck on how Square Enix could improve on every aspect of the original, and still make it feel fresh.
I knew it would be awhile that another true sequel would be announced after hearing about Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Another handheld Nintendo game sounded intriguing, especially after hearing it covered Roxas' time in Organization XIII and multiplayer mode featuring every member plus a few extras. I also got Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days on release day, which was lucky for me considering I was in college at the time.
Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories was the next game I got in the series, and only a week before the release of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. I don't know why I waited so long, but the hype from Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is what reawakened my love for the series and I made sure I would relive the great experience I had on the GBA with Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
Only a short time after, I got Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep on release day and was overwhelmed by the new story, characters, combat system, and ties into past installments. The layered 3-character story was very engaging and innovative and I enjoyed everything the game had to offer.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded and thought it was a successful remake. The battle system and unique levels felt refreshing and challenging at the same time. I only wish I had the time and drive to finish the game to 100%, but I may do it sometime eventually.
Now, I'm currently awaiting for Kingdom Hearts 3D to release, and hoping for the announcement of the next true sequel, Kingdom Hearts III. Until then, I'll keep up-to-date on all things Kingdom Hearts-related and enjoy the franchise for years to come.
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