Why Kingdom Hearts is so successful

Because people like to like what others like even if they're unsure if they like it themselves.

The story is what I played for. It just pulls me completely into it's world. Its probably the cutest game I will ever be caught playing, but there is a certain charm about playing alongside Disney characters that remind me of my childhood.

I love the KH series (The original, II, and Chain of Memories.) just because it gives you a chance to interact with the stories you loved as a kid (I loved Tron. Yeah, go figure.) and the stories you'd like to see more of (Like Pirates of the Carribean.)

It's a gem in the see of violent FPSs (Not that I don't enjoy them.) that I can sit down and enjoy an hour or so at a time.

I agree with Neil. What he said. Now waiting for Neil to buy KH so I can go buy it too...And whomever posts after will after I have and so on and so on...

Pretty simple if you ask me.

The SquareEnix name brought us hardcore gamers, and the Disney license brought in the more casual gamers. The critical acclaim of an already acclaimed sequel usually means success be it in games or movies.

"Why Kingdom Hearts is so successful" is one of the biggest mysteries of mankind.

Maybe it's because casual gamers don't really like good gameplay and would rather watch insanely long movies (with tiny bits of "gameplay" thrown in between chapters to keep you awake)?
Or maybe they just like pain?

It's because Final Fantasy is dead to them (no new one since 03) so they need a new fix. Hey, Kingdom Hearts is made by Square! It has a brooding storyline! Good enough for me!

Because people love Final Fantasy. And because they like to be reminded that they used to love Disney, and probably still do.

I played the first one because I liked the cover... and there wasn't a new FF coming out for while. I was a casual gamer, at the time.

I was blown away by the convincing characters, and the voice-acting was top-notch... and, surprisingly, Tetsuya Nomura's FF style fit in very well with the disney aspect.

High production values + really great combat + One of the most original stories I've seen in a game = Success

I think that KH reminds so many people about why the like the various works of Disney and Square Enix. Sure, the game has its flaws. However, I think the game is just earnest in trying to remind you why you liked so many of these characters in the first place.

Disney + Final Fantasy + ??? = Profit

I think I could draw a bead on that.

People like Kingdom Hearts because it combines two successful, easily digestible franchises into a Frankenstein abomination. Wow...that was hard.

I am adamantly against this kind of synergistic schlock. When movies' popularity started flagging, they combined genres. The action romance. The action comedy. The romantic comedy. Now, they have exhausted that 2D matrix of mishmashes genres. They are combining franchises. Remember Freddy vs. Jason? Alien vs. Predator? Who Framed Rodger Rabbit with Disney and Warner Brother characters? Have we gotten so far past the "there are no new ideas" phase of degradation that we have accepted it because it is less risky?

Doesn’t “because it is less risky” sound very much like a problem we are having anyway?

Kingdom Hearts isn't the new IP we are crying for and why it is being praised is beyond me. Why was old IP crammed together praised? Why is its sequel being praised? It is leading us directly into the industrial entropy we are working so hard to resist. It's Final Fantasy with Disney characters. How can we in good conscience support that?

successful because of 10yo little girls

Yeah... Nostalgia/One of the only good kid centered games/Fairly unique gameplay for an RPG/Excellent music... wait scratch that last one.

Easy. KH is successful because it draws from two huge pools of fans... and it's truly enjoyable. Not every game needs to be an okami. Some can just be fun for fun's sake and can indulge in all of our faboyish desires. That's why I enjoy advent children and why I enjoy kingdom hearts despite what the elitists say.

I bought the first because I was interested in the idea and wanted a Final Fantasy "Light". I had tried some of the more recent FF games and they were just to in-depth for me, I was never really into the whole RPG thing, but being a gamer I felt that it was my duty to try them out. I did enjoy the first game and purchased the second about a week ago. This new game is painfully easy and the story is far more lackluster than the original. Alot of the ideas are completely rehashed and new changes that were made are totally uneccesary. Unless the story at the end is totally amazing I would not buy another game in this series.

This isn't even worth the space it's taking up on the 'net.

Why is it so popular? Can you say CLOUD STRIFE? Can you say SQUALL LEONHART? Can you say exploiting one of the most popular series in history because nobody would buy JUST a Disney game?

I admit though, it is a pretty good game, so it has that going for it. But sales-wise, I'm positive it's the Final Fantasy that did that. I know my girlfriend will buy ANYTHING with Cloud in it, and I will almost buy ANYTHING with Squall in it, so there ya go.

Disney + Final Fantasy + My PS2 = Pretty decent ammount of fun.

If bested by Dragon Quest VIII -super hard-.

Corporate logistics aside, a game is a game. You can either play it and have fun (if its playable), or mull over why it was created and don't.

Not to say KH2 is perfect. It's kinda easy and they can't seem to abolish all cheesy dialogue yet ("their hearts command them, we cannot interfere"-- wtf mickey)

I like it because of all the recognizable characters. Kinda like Lego Star Wars.

I love disney, and I hate final fantasy games. Not because they are final fantasy, but because they are boring strategy based RPG's. Action RPG's, like kingdom hearts are just 100 times better. I'm playing the game right now and I can't put the controller down. This game is the shit.

I liked KH2 because of the Final Fantasy characters. Disney is pretty much dead to me at this point and any effort to twist their stories to make them more darker, is a step in the right direction IMHO. I love square's style of over-the-top martial arts combat and I also am a fan of Cloud and Sephiroth and I was glad to see them again.

I know the game is nowhere near perfect, but I was able to look past the errors in the gameplay.

1.) The combat was indeed too buttonmashy. I was able to do this with my PS2 wireless controller. I was able to get up from my seat, walk downstairs, fix myself a bowl of cereal, walk back up stairs and back into my room while mashing on the X Button. I clearned the entire room of enemies and only lost none of my health.

2.) Level design was kinda small. I was hoping for bigger world where you could explore around them more. It would have been nice if they made everything seamless, but I think that might have affected the level of detail in the levels thanks to the PS2's limited hardware performance.

3.) I utterly hate the little Mermaid. IMHO The little mermaid was the turning point where Disney really began to suck. However this game only made me hate the little mermaid even more thanks to really really bad (ears bleeding) singing, and a rhythm game that was just far too easy to beat. I was hoping to fight some heartless at the Alantis level too, but nope. No such luck.

Those are the 3 things I have to complain about the game. However I still think the game is great.

We have no English FF12 yet, so we tolerate all that Disney crap.

I think the reason final fantasy is so popular is because it meshes two of the most popular names in video entertainment from two different countries. In japan, Final Fantasy is HUGE, and it is loved here in america as well, but when you combine it with something so American like Disney cartoons, it's an instant hit. I mean seriously, who DOESN'T like disney movies? I'm a 22 year old male, and I still find myself lining up for the next pixar film on the opening night, these are just two franchises that are so good at capturing the human imagination, and when you create a game that allows you to interact, and take part in these worlds, and interact with the characters from both, combined with a great story to mesh them together, it's an instant hit.

I'm curious...do these games get released in Japan? I have trouble believing that a disney based game would be nearly as popular over there, but who knows?

err...I meant kingdom hearts. dammit.

This really isn't all that complicated.

Kingdom Hearts combines Disney worlds and characters into a game with a lot of Final Fantasy elements, and an action style gameplay not unlike the Zelda series.

Final Fantasy is one the most recognizeable franchises in gamer history. It probably only falls behind Super Mario Brothers and Pac-Man. Being heralded as a FF spinoff would bring a formidable amount of buyers to the table by itself.

Then add in the Disney element. Next to Jesus, I don't think there's a much more recognizeable icon in American's eyes than Mickey Mouse. Then, Americans aside, everyone in the world who's ever watched a television can tell you about Disney characters. Everyone in the last 50+ years has seen something Disney related.

On top of it being Disney related, you encompass Disney's entire 80 year career of work. You even get real voice actors for new characters, and return many voice actors back to reprise their roles from their respective movies. This allows the game the respect to seperate itself from being a "gimmick".

Then the gameplay is simple, yet fun enough so that everyone can play it and enjoy it. It won't alienate younger crowds, and non-gamers will be able to pick it up without getting in over their heads.

Add this all together, and now you're playing with power. People hear about what this game is, no matter if they play games already or not, and they sit up and take notice.

Kingdom Hearts isn't the perfect game, but there's no doubt in my mind that it's the perfect game concept.

Oh come on! It's obvious! Who wouldn't want to finally see some Disney characters actually beating the smeg out of each other rather then act all pansy and innocent in Disney films?!

Seriously, it's a superb hybrid of characters and worlds injected with easy to play controls and crisp visuals. The story is cutesy without being too sickening. It's dark but only Disney dark.

Personally, I hate it. I played a bit at work, and found it dull, repetitive, and basically like Dynasty Warriors with Final Fantasy cinemas, plus some Disney characters. It was 50% Golden Axe style hack-n-slash, and 50% non-interactive video.

Dull. I dropped the controller and went back to playing Oblivion.

Besides the storyline, which drags you in and doesn't spit you out, the game (KH and KHII) are extremely addictive. Each encounter with an enemy is incredibly fun to play! In any other RPG, you usually skip random encounters, because it takes to long. KH battles are in real time, and you are constantly in the fray! It's not like Final Fantasy, where you get an infinite amount of thinking time between each move, in KH you have to react fast. It feels like a real fight, and it's addictive. Kingdom Hearts is ALOT of fun to play, no matter how many times, and it's always a challenge. I only wish that they put in a multiplayer mode. IT WOULD BE SOOOOOOOOOO FRIGGING INSANE IF YOU COULD CONNECT THE PS2s AND FIGHT AGAINST ANOTHER FRIEND! Come on Square Enix, are you listening?

Kingdom Hearts is gay than a Michael Jackson sleep over.

It's amazing to me that this title does as well as it does. I haven't played KH2, but talking to my friends this one definitely seems like more of an evolution than anything major.

I love Disney films. Absolutely love them. It's the reason I bought the game, although I've been playing Square titles since before Final Fantasy even hit the NES. No real bias was present and I was definitely ready to love the game.

The second I stepped into Wonderland in the original I was bothered. One of my favorite films was regulated to a tiny "planet" that was essentially four interconnected rooms (you could even see where the sky textures met). Moving on to others, I quickly found the same issues in every level I went to, joined together by horrid flying levels. None of these improved on it. Tarzan's level was probably my least favorite; backtracking over and over to finish off all the Heartless, the odd control involved in selecting vines to swing, the fact that Clayton rides a freaking invisible, giant Chameleon.

I could go on and on about the license usage, but most of all I just don't understand how it was a good game in pure construction. The level layouts were terrible. The playcontol was nothing to write home about, with simple battle mechanics and horrid partner AI. The camera was abysmal. It contained countless examples of what I refer to as "video game logic": things I just have to do because the game wants me to, but make no sense in any normal level of reasoning.

The bizarre thing is that a lot of younger skewed message boards I go to seem to want less Disney in this title and more FF. Some go as far as not wanting Disney involved at all. I, at times, wonder how much of a selling point that aspect even is.

In any case, this game got 9s and higher. I still cannot figure it out. While I've heard some of my issues with the first were rectified this time around, it hurt my impressions so much that I just cannot bring myself to trust any final reviews on it. It's funny that all I hear about it is the "better presentation".

I don't get why it does well. I probably never will.

I read that over and it's pretty confusing... "this game" referring to the original. Basically, I don't trust the reviews on the new one since they were so positive on the last one.

I just beat KH2 and I have to say there is just something to it. It's not a complete success and has some seriously flawed game mechanics cheesy dialogue and long load times between short intervals but I couldn't put it down. It boils down to familiar characters and locations and mindless hack and slash almost a throwback to olden days of TMNT brawlers. And don't underestimate the presentation it is one gorgeous game to look at. My girlfriend (not a gamer) actually wanted to watch me play this one.

People like this game because of the great original story since the 1st game. I like it,in fact i'm gonna race those Lightcycles right now.

Oh god I hate Kingdom Hearts... but I've already used up all the rant time I'm prepared to expend on that. Sorry, you guys will just have to figure out how to hate it aaaall by yoselfs.

Reading through the posts here, there is a significant amount of criticism of the KH games which, whether or not warranted, is expected. To that I say, screw you guys. Yes, at face value it gets a lot of attention by combining hugely popular characters in a way that is borderline gimmicky. However, that is definitely not the whole deal here.

First of all, Disney and Squaresoft are definitely playing off of their already popular characters. That much is obvious. People eat up final fantasy. People eat up disney movies. However, this popularity is definitely not without basis. The final fantasy games, whether you personally like them or not, are solid RPGs. Yes, they can ride alot on fanboyism, but they have fanboys for good reason; the games are well-made, the characters are appealing, and the franchise as a whole is fun.
Disney is a similar case. They have been at the forefront of animation for a long time and despite some recent slack offs (legions of straight to video sequels and some less-than-stellar movies) their characters are bright and vibrant and interesting.

Putting these elements together into a game may draw some people in just because of popular appeal, but, really now, it is no easy task. Many peoiple scoffed at the idea of combining these two universes and even if you still scoff at the KH series for other reasons, you gotta admit, they mixed two very different universes incredibly well.

Beyond that, the games are fricken fun. Personally I love the gameplay style. I find the control to be intuitive, smooth and fun, the likes of which I really havent felt in an action game since SOTN. Hell, I would be just fine if Squaresoft ditched the popular franchises altogther and made a new franchise based on the same style of play. (Though, I must admit, it is nice to see familiar characters in a new environment).

The style of the games, though a mix of Square and Disney, does manage to create a feekl of its own. The enivironments are bright and vibrant but in a different way than the backdrop of some disney cartoon is. The stages are creative and engaging mixes of the disney universe and squaresoft's gaming enginuity. (Personally, I still think the alice in wonderland level from the first KH is my favorite). The graphics and voice acting add to the environment very well. Sure they arent perfect, but they are definitely top-tier.

It is true that much of the accessability of the KH franchise comes from previously marketed Disney and Squaresoft products and maybe that pisses you off. But even so, there is much to be said for the pleasant moments of nostalgia provided through the familiarity of squaresoft and disney characters and styles. You can make your gripes with the gameplay too, but I think its a good. Easily accessable, yet requiring a certain finess and sense of management to be successful. Give credit were credit is due, because there is definitely credit to be given here.

It has gameplay and storyline for the hardcore gamer, and Disney characters for the lame people that won't play games without their TV/movie characters.

I play it for the production values.
I know that sounds ludicrous, but there are games that play better and have a much more well written story than Kingdom Hearts... but I play to see each new world and the character models and things like that.

what can I say, I'm an artist that likes to see artistry no matter what the medium.

Okay, a lot has already been said about the wonderful fanservice nature of combining Disney and Squaresoft. That's exactly what suckered me in.
But my god people, please tell me the second one gets better after the first two hours. We popped it in the other day and I could swear they just showed me a fifteen minute amv full of aesexual pretty boys staring at each other falling in water, sometimes with feathers, sometimes with swords. Not exactly my thing but the girls in the room seemed happy enough. The intro movie apart, the game looked promising. Squaresoft, let your graphical prowess shine on forever.
But then we played, why in Jenova's name did we have to work mindless funless needless summer jobs for half an hour in that game? I'm all for minigames and diversions, but this was unskippable. And it played to terrible music. And in the end predictably, all our munny (not a typo, to the uninformed) were stolen from us in the next ten minute cutscene. And all the while, all of us are getting this Matrix Reloaded or MGS Sons of Liberty vibe from the story so far. And not in the good "Surprise, your move now sucka!" way, more the "we all saw it coming" kind of way. Constantly waking up, vague staticky recolections of the past, strange computer simulation rooms, the whole world pausing! At least they could be less obvious about it! Mind you, we haven't gotten past all that stuff, so it's just speculation on my part.
Please inform me of our wrongness, we'll be glad you did so we'll pick up the game again.

Kingdom Hearts is big with the female gamer base. And yes, it does exist. And yes, to quite a degree, because I know quite a lot of them.

I doubt most of them find it 'gay'. Women = large contributer to KH sales.

They probably weren't making pee jokes about Wii, either.

Perhaps the lesser of two evils.

Credit? No. Nothing Square has ever made has entertained me. They seem to think that "game = lots of cinemas + anime style + a few moments of button mashing = fun" and I'm just not on board with it.

If you took the cinemas out of Square Enix games, you'd have very little left.

It's a scientific fact that Kingdom Hearts is the gayest game ever made. Even the Olsen twins game that came out a while back at least had a dead hooker in it.

Comic on the subject: http://little-gamers.com/index.php?comicID=1344 :)

"If you took the cinemas out of Square Enix games, you'd have very little left."

True, those bloody FFs on the SNES only impressed me with their stellar cut-scenes.

That was just Square though, not SE, but if you've been following the series they haven't changed much, except now each one has a couple of hours of cinematics. Bastards, I have no time in an 80 hour game to be wasting 2 of those watching pretty FMVs!

Most of Kingdom Hearts II's commercial success was based on the thought that the game would be better than its predecessor. Much of its acclaim comes from people who either don't know what they're talking about, or people who don't want to get lynched by fans.

I'm a fan of the first Kingdom Hearts because of what it provided. I wasn't hung up over the wonky camera or the lame Gummi Ship missions between worlds. The battle system wasn't as repetitive as most everybody made it out to be. The story and the pacing worked combined with the Disney universe. It wasn't a common crossover, but it WORKED.

Personally, I don't think KH2 deserves as much acclaim as it garners. Sure, the battle system is addictively fun and when it's presented to you, the story is filled with what made the first story so enjoyable.

However the worlds were shrunk down in size (the Cave of Wonders seriously disappointed me compared to the first one), the underlying, brilliant story is marred by a substantial lack of subtlety (the Yin Sid part at the beginning comes to mind), and the whole thing is just so... boring. I honestly expected more out of this than I got.

The prolouge goes through with promise, but as soon as the initial trio woke up from their slumber, I felt a sense of dread.

It's not a BAD game, but it rightly doesn't deserve the praise it garners. I know Nomura tried to address issues from the first game, but in the process he lost what made the first so great in the first place.

Like a Nobody, this game has lost its heart and now is nothing more than a shell of its former self. But that's just my opinion.

Kingdom Hearts is so popular because people love Gummi Ships.

I'm sure if you took the cinemas out of most modern RPG's you'd have little left that varied from the games of the early 90s.

Except Dragon Quest VIII.

Which still governs your soul.

I loved KHII because I love just about everything square, and for me to revisit my childhood movies, in a game, how could I not buy this and play it till my eyes bleed?

game rocked....

38: You do know you could have ended the munny making segment at any time?

Seriously, do one job badly, earn 30 munny, and you can move on.

just the title itself and the game makers... what can u expect... and i love the idea of having donald and goofy along with sora as main characters... it just put the game to it's peak and fun to play!!!

reli love!! but my ps2 is still broke!! damn!!

ax?

-xiv-