Review

Where to start the detail in the awesome calamity that is
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories? This game, released for the Game Boy Advance,
is another collaboration between Square-Enix and Disney corporations,
continuing the ethereal storyline of Sora, Donald and Goofy. The game is easy to look at
and is even easier to play. The difficulty makes a few high arches here and there
but over all, you’ll probably get it finished without many problems. There are
two stories in the game itself, starting with Sora’s story at his
‘stay’ in Castle Oblivion. Then there’s the other side of the story,
called ‘Reverse/Rebirth’, in which you get to play the same story, but from his friend
Riku’s point of view.
The original story places you in Sora’s shoes after the events in the first
‘Kingdom Hearts’, released for the PlayStation2, in which Sora stumbles upon
Castle Oblivion while chasing Goofy’s dog, Pluto (aren’t they both dogs?).
Sora enters the Castle in interest, and meets, upon entering, a hooded fellow who
refuses to name himself. He draws Sora far into the castle before Sora realizes that
his friends are missing! They have been formed into cards by the hooded man, and given
to him. The hooded man explains to Sora that Castle Oblivion is merely a collection of
his memories. You learn this later on when he gives you a small collection of cards,
and choosing one takes Sora back through a replay of his memories from the first game!
Not only that, but he has to do it from scratch, because according to the hooded man,
the moment Sora stepped into the castle, he forgot all of the spells and abilities
he ever learned!

This game once again releases the worlds for play as released in the original
Kingdom Hearts, but thanks to Square, they refuse to let the worlds get repetitive by
placing small add-ins. For instance, in order to open a door, you have to have a card
with a certain number or color (or both) that correspond with the door. This can
sometimes get annoying, but in the end will satisfy you after you look at your playing time
(unless if you’re one of those people who don’t enjoy spending time in a game, then this
game, or, rather any game, is not for you!)

One of the many things fans or consumers will enjoy with this game is the returning voice
cast, summing up of Sora voiced by Haley Joel Osment (Sixth Sense), Riku by David Gallagher
(7th Heaven), and Kairi by Hayden Panettiere (Ally McBeal, Heroes). The card battle system
welcomes some, and shuns other with its entertaining usage and compatability with the
battle schemes. In the end, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories will leave you loving the
series and hating to wait for the next installment!

(Extra Note: Square-Enix’s Japan branch is developing the release of a remake of this game,
releasing on the PlayStation 2. So far, information claims it will not be released in
the U.S. any time soon, or at all.)

Thanks to Endless Light for writing this!

Trackback This Post | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed