The Real Kingdom Hearts 2 Released 21 Years Ago and Is Still Confusing Today

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When Kingdom Hearts first came out in 2002, it quickly became the foundation for a large and ongoing series. Its creative blend of fantasy storytelling and visits to different Disney movie worlds was a hit with players. The game built a huge world filled with both brand new characters and fresh takes on classic Disney and Final Fantasy favorites.

After the success of the first Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix quickly started working on a sequel, which they released to great excitement in 2005. But before that, they released a direct sequel – Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories – for the Game Boy Advance exactly 21 years ago today. This game is still considered one of the most unusual in the entire Kingdom Hearts series, and that’s notable considering how complex the series eventually became.

Why Kingdom Hearts Went From PS2 To GBA

Tetsuya Nomura and his team created Chain of Memories while working on Kingdom Hearts II. Initially, Nomura was unsure about bringing the first game’s 3D style to the Game Boy Advance, but he listened to fans who wanted a handheld version. A major difference between the original Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories is how you play. Most Kingdom Hearts games focus on fast-paced action, but Chain of Memories introduced a card system. Attacks, spells, and summons became cards you could find and collect, allowing players to customize their decks and strategies.

As a fan, I always appreciated that this game kept the fast-paced action of the original, but they threw in this whole card system with random cards and combos, which was… different. It felt a little strange, honestly. The core fighting was still real-time, but now when you bumped into an enemy, it shifted you to a smaller arena. It reminded me a bit of Lost Kingdom in that way. I get why they changed things going from the PS2 to the GBA, but I’m still not sure why they added full deck-building to the combat. It just felt unnecessarily complicated.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories Is Surprisingly Important To The Lore

Although Chain of Memories was released on the Game Boy Advance, it’s much more than just a simple side game. It actually plays a crucial role in the Kingdom Hearts story, introducing key plot points and characters that are essential to understanding Kingdom Hearts II. The game follows Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy Cricket as they search for Riku and King Mickey. Their search leads them to Castle Oblivion, a strange place controlled by the shadowy Organization XIII. Within the organization, a power struggle is underway, and Sora and his friends are unknowingly being used by Marluxia to help him gain control.

First hinted at in the original game, the Organization became the main villains for much of the series, especially in Kingdom Hearts II. The game also introduces Naminé, a character whose powers and true identity become central to the story. Building on the first game’s ideas about what’s right and wrong, and the importance of memories, the story expands to follow Riku and his journey through Castle Oblivion, where he faces the consequences of his past actions. All of this sets up the complex beginning of Kingdom Hearts II, which can be confusing for players who haven’t experienced this installment.

Chain Of Memories Is Weird, Even By Kingdom Hearts Standards

As a big fan, I’ve always thought Kingdom Hearts is a really unique series. It’s so strange to see Disney characters mixed with elements from Final Fantasy, but it somehow works! What’s great is that the games have really embraced that weirdness over time, and it’s helped them build a huge following. Thinking back, Chain of Memories feels like a particularly bold move for such an early game in the series – they really took a chance with it!

The game revisited many of the locations and plot points from the original, but added a layer of complexity due to its focus on fragmented and recurring memories. It also featured a large cast of new characters with unclear goals and unusual powers, which might have been a lot for players who were expecting a simpler story bridging the first and second games.

Later games in the series removed the card-based deck-building, returning to the simpler combat of the original. Surprisingly, even when the game was updated for the PlayStation 2 and later included in Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, the card system stayed. Looking back, Chain of Memories feels less like a strange detour and more like an important experiment. Even after 21 years and many sequels, it remains a unique and essential piece of the Kingdom Hearts story.

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2025-12-07 18:46