query: what was added in kingdom hearts final mix

pos: Kingdom Hearts and released on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS, respectively, with 3D graphics, voice overs during some cutscenes, and new game content. The "Kingdom Hearts" series has been critically and commercially successful. As of March 2014, the series has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. The three main games in the series all met with positive sales at the time of their releases. In the first two months since the North American release of "Kingdom Hearts", it was one of the top three highest-selling video games. "Chain of Memories" sold 104,000 units in 48 hours in Japan, a record for

pos: Kingdom Hearts (video game) the teaser in order to gauge fan reaction to the possibility of a sequel; he felt that if the idea was unpopular, then it would be best to leave certain events in the game unexplained. The new content was later added to the Japanese re-release "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix". "Final Mix" included further additional content such as new items, cutscenes, and enemies, such as a new secret boss that sets up the sequel. The new content further hinted at plotlines that would be explained in sequels. Some content omitted from "Kingdom Hearts" was later added into "Kingdom Hearts II". A

pos: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix is an HD remastered collection of three games in Square Enix's "Kingdom Hearts" series: "Kingdom Hearts II", "Birth by Sleep", and "". A successor to the series' "HD 1.5 Remix" collection, it was released as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in Japan on October 2014 and internationally two months later. "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix" includes "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" and "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix" in high definition and with trophy support. Additionally, the collection features a cinematic remake of "" that features remastered cutscenes from the

pos: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix" includes both "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and "" in high-definition and with trophy support. Additionally, the collection features a cinematic remake of "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", including high-definition cutscenes from the original game plus new scenes; the "358/2 Days" cinematic also has trophy support. Ideas for a remastered collection of "Kingdom Hearts" games were first revealed in August 2011, with the collection formally announced in September 2012. "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix", in addition to being created from the ground up due to lost assets from the original game, had the

pos: Kingdom Hearts II that should a "Final Mix" version arise, he had a "trump card" in mind, with such features as the Mushroom Heartless found in the first "Kingdom Hearts" game. In September 2006, Square Enix announced "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", featuring new scenes and gameplay elements. Like the first re-release, this version would combine English audio with Japanese text and also use the "Sanctuary" theme song instead of "Passion". New cutscenes, however, used Japanese voice acting, as they mostly featured Organization XIII members from "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories" who did not yet have English voice actors; these scenes were later

pos: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix a high definition re-release preceded plans for "Final Fantasy X" re-release, and was a focus for two Square Enix programmers for over a year. In September 2012, Square Enix announced "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix" for release in Japan on the PlayStation 3. The collection would include both "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and "" in high definition and trophy support, as well as non-playable HD event scenes from "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days" as a way for players to understand the story. The development team experimented with using some character models from "" for "HD 1.5 Remix". The cutscenes from "Kingdom

pos: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix taking place after the events of the original "Birth by Sleep", told from the perspective of Aqua. It was released on January 12, 2017 in Japan and January 24, 2017 for other countries. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix" includes both "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and "" in high-definition and with trophy support. Additionally, the collection features a cinematic remake of "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", including high-definition cutscenes from the original game plus new scenes; the "358/2 Days" cinematic also has trophy support. Ideas for a remastered collection of "Kingdom Hearts" games were first revealed in

pos: Organization XIII Xehanort's alias "Ansem". He uses the power of nothingness to phase through solid matter and wield a pair of "ethereal blades", two red beams of light generated from his palms. He also commands the "Sorcerer" Nobodies. Xemnas serves as the main antagonist of "Kingdom Hearts II", where he gathers the hearts released by Roxas's Keyblade to cultivate his own version of Kingdom Hearts in the World That Never Was. When Roxas defects from the Organization and surrenders his existence to Sora, Xemnas manipulates Sora into completing the task instead. "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" features additional cutscenes that highlight Xemnas's

pos: Kingdom Hearts (video game) volumes and was released in North America on March 25, 2008. Originally released only in Japan on December 26, 2002, "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" has several events and a number of gameplay tweaks that are not in previous releases. Spoken dialogue is in English, with Japanese subtitles. New scenes, clarifying certain plot points, such as Riku's journey and foreshadowing of "Kingdom Hearts II", were included, but no new dialogue was recorded. A gameplay option allows the player to skip cutscenes after seeing them once. The optional bosses first included in the English version were introduced to Japanese players for the

pos: Kingdom Hearts II on "", contains the most content edits. Cutscenes were edited to remove some of the violence, such as William Turner threatening to commit suicide while aiming a gun at his neck, as in the film. Unlike the Japanese version, the undead pirates do not catch fire when affected by Fire magic, and their muskets were modified to resemble crossbows, though the crossbows still fire with an audible musket shot sound effect. An unlockable trailer in "Kingdom Hearts" and "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" hinted at the possibility of a sequel. Rumors for a sequel on the PlayStation 2 were spurred in

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix remixed, as well as additional orchestral elements added to the songs. Yasue said, "Yoko Shimomura's music is an undeniable trait of the "Kingdom Hearts" series, I feel like without the atmosphere she creates, it isn't "Kingdom Hearts", so the mix of the final audio was carefully controlled but also provides a new depth to the familiar sound." "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" was released outside Japan for the first time as part of the collection. "Birth by Sleep" is a prequel to the original "Kingdom Hearts", taking place ten years before the titles events. The game centers on the journeys

neg: Kingdom Hearts III not. After Square Enix finished development of "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", Tetsuya Nomura was approached by Disney, who expressed interest in a sequel. In regard to a possible release of "Kingdom Hearts III", Nomura said "We have various ideas, but we're not at the point where we can say that." He added that due to the development of "Final Fantasy XV"—titled "Final Fantasy Versus XIII" at the time—"it's physically impossible at the present. I feel that it's not the right time to talk about the future of "Kingdom Hearts"." In response to questions about the secret film in "Final

neg: Kingdom Hearts II and books. The game has also been adapted into both manga and novel series. Prior to the game's release, an "Ultimania" book titled "Kingdom Hearts Series Ultimania α ~Introduction of Kingdom Hearts II~" came out. It provides extended information on the first two "Kingdom Hearts" games, as well as information on the unreleased "Kingdom Hearts II". After the release of the game, "Kingdom Hearts II Ultimania", which focuses on the game itself, came out. Another book, titled "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ Ultimania", was released after the "Final Mix" version came out. Released along with "Final Mix", "Kingdom Hearts -Another

neg: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep that allows players to obtain downloadable content for "Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy", with "Final Mix" featuring the character Cloud Strife costume from the original "Kingdom Hearts". "Final Mix" topped the video game charts following its release with 77,317 units sold in the first week, and reaching 106,276 in February 2011. "Final Mix" was released for the first time outside Japan as part of "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix". In the credits of "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix", clips of "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix" were shown, hinting at its inclusion in another collection. On October 14, 2013, Square

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix downloadable content for the PS4 version released in June 2017 added a Theater mode for "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and an additional cutscene for "358/2 Days". An additional bundle, "Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far", includes the "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix" PlayStation 4 collection and "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" and will be released in North America on October 30, 2018 for the PlayStation 4. "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix" has been met to generally positive critical reception. Aggregating review website Metacritic gave the game a 77/100. Kotaku gave the release a generally positive rating,

neg: Tetsuya Nomura Sora, became his favorite character he had designed so far. Following "Kingdom Hearts", Nomura worked once again on the "Final Fantasy" series with "Final Fantasy XI" and "Final Fantasy X-2". For the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII" metaseries which featured new titles based on "Final Fantasy VII", Nomura was once again the character designer. A sequel to "Kingdom Hearts" started development around the completion of "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix", an international version which added more foreshadowing elements regarding the series' plot. Nomura continued his work on the series with "" for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. He had originally

neg: Kingdom Hearts (video game) Europe. An additional piece of free downloadable content for the PS4 version released in June 2017 added a Theater mode for "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix". "Kingdom Hearts" was followed by several sequels, becoming the first game in the "Kingdom Hearts" series. It was followed by a direct sequel, "", on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, which was released in Japan on November 11, 2004. "Kingdom Hearts II" is the third game in the series, set one year after "Chain of Memories", and was released in Japan on December 22, 2005 for Sony PlayStation 2. Like the first game it was

neg: Kingdom Hearts II canonical update to the series. The book "Kingdom Hearts -Another Report-" was included along with the game for those who reserved a copy. Based on Amazon.com figures, "Final Mix+" was the number one PlayStation 2 game in sales during the week of its release in Japan. Nomura cited the presence of "Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories" to explain why "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+" was so popular. Nevertheless, in a "Famitsu" poll in July 2011, "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" was voted the most popular entry so far. It was released for the first time outside Japan as part of

neg: Kingdom Hearts II re-dubbed into English for the "HD 2.5 Remix" release. "Kingdom Hearts II" was re-released in Japan on March 29, 2007 as a 2-disc set titled "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+". The first disc contains "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" with a new secret movie and additional battles and items. The second disc contains "Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories", a 3D PlayStation 2 remake of "" with extra scenes and voice acting. The battle system maintains the card gameplay, with the addition of Reaction Commands from "Kingdom Hearts II". Like the first game's Final Mix, the two games serve as a

neg: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories characters and the humor added into scenes. They also commented the weak elements of the game lessened the manga's overall quality. The series was followed by a third manga series, "Kingdom Hearts II". The "Chain of Memories" manga series was re-released in a boxed set in the United States on October 9, 2007. In September 2012, Square Enix announced "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix" a compilation for the PlayStation 3 to include both "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and "Re:Chain of Memories" in high definition and trophy support. Additionally, the collection includes HD cinematic scenes from "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days". It

neg: Kingdom Hearts II and the fourth book, "Anthem—Meet Again/Axel Last Stand," came out in February 2007. In the credits of "HD 1.5 Remix", clips of "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" were shown, hinting at its inclusion in another collection. On October 14, 2013, Square Enix announced "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix", a second compilation exclusively for the PlayStation 3 after "HD 1.5 Remix", that includes both "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" and "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix" in HD and trophy support. Additionally, the collection includes HD cinematic scenes from "" and was released in Japan on October 2, 2014, North

neg: Kingdom Hearts that many mysteries of the first game would be answered. To help market the games, websites were set up for each game and demos were on display at gaming events. Each game in the main series was also re-released in Japan with additional content and served as canonical updates to the series. The additional content foreshadowed later plot elements in the series. The rereleases of the main series games had the term "Final Mix" added after the title, while "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories" and "Kingdom Hearts Coded" were re-released as "Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories" and "Kingdom Hearts Re:coded"

neg: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Memories" was released along with "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" in a set, "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+". A manga series ran in Monthly Shōnen Gangan in Japan, and was later released in the United States. It is accompanied by three novels—two set during Sora's storyline and the third during "Reverse/Rebirth", Riku's story. Like with the "Final Fantasy" games and the first "Kingdom Hearts" game, Square released an "Ultimania" book on "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories" following the release of the game. In North America, BradyGames released a strategy guide with a comprehensive walkthrough. "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories" was

neg: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Enix announced "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix", a second compilation exclusively for the PlayStation 3 after "HD 1.5 Remix". The release includes both "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" and "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix" in HD with trophy support. Additionally, the collection includes HD cinematic scenes from "." It was released in Japan on October 2, 2014, North America on December 2, 2014, Australia on December 4, 2014, and Europe on December 5, 2014. In September 2015, Square Enix announced "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue". The collection features "Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A

neg: Roxas (Kingdom Hearts) created for Organization XIII, and was always intended to be the 13th member. The meaning of Roxas' name was meant to be revealed in a scene in "Kingdom Hearts II" that shows the letters in the word "Sora" rearranged with the "X" added to expand the connection between the characters. However, this scene was omitted as Nomura found it difficult to implement time-wise. Since his debut in "Kingdom Hearts II", Roxas has been voiced in Japanese by Kōki Uchiyama and by Jesse McCartney in the English versions. After "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" was released, Nomura wanted to expand Roxas'

neg: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep to which he replied he would like to, as he enjoyed the work from the English voice casting done in the previous games. However, he stated that one of the main reasons for the popularity of the "Final Mix" version of "Kingdom Hearts II" was because it was released alongside the PlayStation 2 remake of "Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories", so he and the staff would think on it more. In September 2010, Square Enix announced that "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix" would be released on January 20, 2011 in Japan. Like all "Final Mix" releases, it combines

neg: Music of Kingdom Hearts featuring artwork of Sora and Roxas was also released as a bonus. The soundtrack comprises nine discs with 229 tracks in total. Discs one and two contain unaltered tracks from the "Kingdom Hearts Original Soundtrack" while discs three to six contain lengthier and looped tracks from the "Kingdom Hearts II Original Soundtrack". Discs seven and eight contain tracks from "" while disc nine contains bonus tracks from "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix". Track listing On May 27, 2009, Square Enix released a collection of "Kingdom Hearts" music arranged for the piano. The tracks are popular

neg: Terra (Kingdom Hearts) the game. Additionally, the final chapter shows the Lingering Will fighting Sora from "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix". Although Terra, Ventus and Aqua first appeared in the secret ending of "Kingdom Hearts II" wearing armor, director Tetsuya Nomura still had not designed their final look, having only thought about their story. Despite not revealing their identities, Nomura still said that they are characters from the past from the "Kingdom Hearts" series. Following the release of the "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", Nomura revealed a connection between them and the game's villain Xemnas, but wanted to leave it up to people's

neg: Aqua (Kingdom Hearts) role in "Kingdom Hearts 0.2" has been more positively received, with critics favoring her stronger characterization over previous depictions. Before her introduction as a main character in "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep", Aqua made small appearances in the secret endings from "Kingdom Hearts II" and its re-release, "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", both events depicting Aqua, Terra, and Ventus confronting Xehanort at the Keyblade Graveyard. "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" also contains an additional cutscene showing Aqua's Keyblade and armor to be stored in the "Chamber of Repose", a hidden room in Hollow Bastion that is frequented by Xemnas. In

neg: Music of Kingdom Hearts of "Simple And Clean". Track listing "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix Additional Tracks" is a separate CD that features new tracks from the re-release of the first game, "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix". It was released in Japan on December 26, 2002, by Walt Disney Records. "Kingdom Hearts II Original Soundtrack" is the official soundtrack for "Kingdom Hearts II" video game. The album contains musical tracks from the game, composed and produced by Yoko Shimomura, with the main orchestral tracks arranged by Kaoru Wada and performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Vocals were performed by Hikaru Utada for the theme song, "Passion".

neg: Kingdom Hearts II to self-destruct, both engulfing Ansem and miraculously returning Riku to his original form. Atop the Castle That Never Was, Sora and company battle Xemnas, who uses what remains of Kingdom Hearts to power his multiple forms. After Sora and Riku destroy Xemnas, the two are reunited with their friends at their home, Destiny Islands. A post-credits scene shows Sora, Kairi and Riku receiving and reading a letter from Mickey, the contents of which are hidden from the player. Development plans for "Kingdom Hearts II" began around the completion of "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix", but specific details were undecided until July

neg: Kingdom Hearts (video game) of difficulty. When first released, "Final Mix" included either a deck of "Kingdom Hearts" cards or special music CD. A limited "Platinum Edition" version of "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" was later released with an action figure of Sora, a sticker set, and sketches of some of the main characters. It was released for the first time in North America, Europe and Australia as part of "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix". The game was adapted into a manga by Shiro Amano. The story follows the events that took place in the game with a few minor differences to account for the

neg: Kingdom Hearts Coded the games touch screen use on the Nintendo DS, console conversion was ruled out as it would necessitate a full remake. Two additional hours of cinematics were created for the game to cover the entire story and show the games connections to other "Kingdom Hearts" titles. The collection features the game as HD cinematics, much like "358/2 Days" was in the "HD 1.5 Remix" collection. The collection also includes both "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" and "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix" in HD and trophy support. Additional events occur in the cinematic scenes not seen in the original,

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix there wasn’t" another one. In the credits of "HD 1.5 Remix", clips of "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix" and "" were shown, hinting at a second collection. On October 14, 2013, Square Enix announced "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix", with the collection including the previously mentioned games in high definition. However, "Re:coded" appears as HD cinematics, similar to "358/2 Days" in "HD 1.5 Remix". The collection was released exclusively for the PlayStation 3 in Japan on October 2, 2014, in North America on December 2, 2014, in Australia on December 4, 2014, and

neg: Kingdom Hearts (video game) achieve Sony "Greatest Hits" status. The game prompted numerous sequels, and the "Kingdom Hearts" series has gone on to ship over 25 million copies worldwide. "Kingdom Hearts" is the tenth best-selling PlayStation 2 game of all time as well as the most commercially successful entry in the series to date and is considered by some gaming publications to be one of the greatest video games of all time. The game's success resulted in a Japan-exclusive re-release of the game featuring extra content, "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix", released in December 2002. The "Final Mix" version of the game was re-mastered in

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix is joined by Donald Duck, Goofy and other Disney characters who help him on his quest. In the original and "Final Mix" versions of "Kingdom Hearts", the command menu had four commands: Attack, Magic, Items, and a fourth context-sensitive slot that varied depending on what the player had targeted, where they were, etc. The command menu has been updated to include "Attack", "Magic", "Items", and "Summons" in the fourth slot, which was originally located as a sub-category beneath the "Magic" menu. The original fourth command has been replaced by the introduction of Reaction Commands from "Kingdom Hearts II" and are

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix the games were not cutting edge graphically, particularly "Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Final Mix", but was still a major improvement. In the credits of "HD 2.5 Remix", clips of "" were shown as well as the inclusion of a secret ending related to the game, hinting at a possible additional collection. In September 2015, Square Enix announced "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue". The collection features an HD remaster of "Dream Drop Distance" as well as "Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover", a cinematic retelling of "Kingdom Hearts χ", and "Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary

neg: Music of Kingdom Hearts song is used for the ending sequence. "Passion" is the theme song for the Japanese release of "Kingdom Hearts II", and the Nintendo DS title, "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days". Its English counterpart, "Sanctuary", is the theme song for the English versions and "Kingdom Hearts II FInal Mix". Like the first theme, Hikaru Utada wrote and performed both the Japanese and English versions, and there are two mixes. The "~opening version~" mix is played during the opening movies, and the "~after the battle~" version is played after defeating the final boss of the games. "Sanctuary" and "~after the battle~" were both

neg: Aqua (Kingdom Hearts) say who the character was, Nomura pointed that new character's scenes occurred prior to the events from the first game. Following the release of "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", Nomura revealed more details about Aqua such as a connection with the character Xemnas. Nomura also revealed her name as said by the Lingering Sentiment in "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", and explained that her name follows the "water" theme brought by Kairi's name. However, a connection with Kairi was not intended, but rather with the series' main characters whose names bear various themes. In contrast to Terra and Ventus, Aqua

neg: Kingdom Hearts III Mix", Nomura noted that it was of a "new series" in "Kingdom Hearts" rather than "Kingdom Hearts III". When asked about "Kingdom Hearts III", Nomura noted that fans and partners alike were interested in its release, and would work to "realize it" as soon as possible. In the "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep" Ultimania guide book, Nomura announced three upcoming titles, one of which was "Kingdom Hearts III". However, "Final Fantasy XV" was still his primary focus, preventing him from starting production on "Kingdom Hearts III". He later noted that "Kingdom Hearts III" would not see a release until after

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix Hearts Final Mix") were re-recorded with live instrumentation, as opposed to the original games' use of the PlayStation 2's built-in tone generator for their background music. In June 2013, Nomura stated that the original game assets for "Kingdom Hearts" had been lost some time ago. He explained, "[The game data] was lost, so we had to research, and we had to dig out from the actual game what was available and recreate everything for HD. We had to recreate all the graphics and it was actually not that easy." In July 2017, Nomura spoke on bringing the collection to the

neg: Ventus (Kingdom Hearts) the latter when thinking that Vanitas being revealed to have Sora's appearance would give a big impact to the gamers. Nomura wanted Ventus's personality to more closely resemble Sora's, which led to his outgoing personality, yet at the same time he wanted him to become more serious as the game progressed to make them distinct. Ventus was first shown in the secret endings of "Kingdom Hearts II" and its rerelease "Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix". Ventus's name first appeared as a code in a 2006 Tokyo Game Show promotional video of the games. While making "Final Mix"s ending, Nomura had

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue of "Kingdom Hearts", from the perspective of Aqua. "Back Cover" and "A Fragmentary Passage" were the tenth and eleventh installments in the "Kingdom Hearts" series. In January 2011, with the release of "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix" a secret ending was discovered, titled "Birth by Sleep: Volume 2". The content, which looked like it bridged the gap between "Birth by Sleep" and the original "Kingdom Hearts", was believed to be a potential future game in the series. In October 2014, on the content seen in the secret ending, series director Tetsuya Nomura stated, "It shows the existence of

neg: Kingdom Hearts (video game) the PlayStation 3, that includes both "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and "" in HD and trophy support. The character models from "" were used as a base for the game's characters. The gameplay of the original "Kingdom Hearts" was modified to play more like "Kingdom Hearts II". Additionally, the collection includes HD cinematic scenes from "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days". It was released in Japan on March 14, 2013, in North America on September 10, 2013, on September 12, 2013 for Australia, and September 13, 2013 for Europe. In June 2013, Nomura stated that the original game assets for "Kingdom Hearts"

neg: Kingdom Hearts III game appeared at the end of the "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix" trailer at E3 2014. Yasue revealed that the sequence seen in the teaser was the opening scene for the game. He added that it was created by Nomura, who had "a real clear picture of [what] the starting sequence" should be, and that the text seen and heard was going to "be a real integral part of the story". In September 2014, it was announced that Nomura would no longer be the director of "Final Fantasy XV", focusing his attention on other projects, including "Kingdom Hearts III". Nomura

neg: Kingdom Hearts (video game) re-released as "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" alongside a PS2 remake of "Chain of Memories". A "Kingdom Hearts" game was developed exclusively for V CAST, Verizon Wireless's broadband service, and was released on October 1, 2004 in Japan and on February 4, 2005 in the United States. In November 2008, "Kingdom Hearts coded" was released for mobile phones in Japan, the game takes place after the events of "Kingdom Hearts II". A followup, "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", was developed for the Nintendo DS and released in Japan on May 30, 2009 and in North America on September 29, 2009. A

neg: Terra (Kingdom Hearts) Terra (Kingdom Hearts) Series director Tetsuya Nomura designed Terra's character when preparing the secret endings of "Kingdom Hearts II" and "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix". He was developed to be reminiscent of series antagonist Xehanort as he appears in previous titles, as well as having a connection with Riku, one of the series' main characters. Ryōtarō Okiayu has done the voice of Terra in Japanese and Jason Dohring in the English version. Video game publications gave mixed responses to Terra's character, with many noting his similarity to the "Final Fantasy VII" character Zack Fair, and later commenting on his naive

neg: Terra (Kingdom Hearts) Hearts" character. Kimberly Wallace from "Game Informer" expected Terra, alongside his friends, to appear in the upcoming game, "Kingdom Hearts III". Terra (Kingdom Hearts) Series director Tetsuya Nomura designed Terra's character when preparing the secret endings of "Kingdom Hearts II" and "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix". He was developed to be reminiscent of series antagonist Xehanort as he appears in previous titles, as well as having a connection with Riku, one of the series' main characters. Ryōtarō Okiayu has done the voice of Terra in Japanese and Jason Dohring in the English version. Video game publications gave mixed responses to

neg: Kingdom Hearts the story, so they decided to combine the two to form "Kingdom Hearts". Nomura placed a secret trailer in "Kingdom Hearts" in hopes that fans would want a sequel. He was unsure if fans would want a sequel and felt that if they did not, then it would be best to leave certain events in the first game unexplained. After "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" was completed, development for "Kingdom Hearts II" began. There were several obstacles to clear before development could begin on a sequel. One was the development team's desire to showcase Mickey Mouse more; Mickey's inclusion in the

neg: Kingdom Hearts These books include game walkthroughs, interviews, and extra information from the developers. "Kingdom Hearts -Another Report-" was released along with "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+" and features game information, visuals by Shiro Amano, and a director interview. In North America, Brady Games released strategy guides for each game. For "Kingdom Hearts II", they released two versions, a standard version and a limited edition version. The limited edition was available in four different covers and included a copy of Jiminy's Journal along with 400 stickers. A manga based on the "Kingdom Hearts" storyline has been released in Japan and the United

neg: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days both "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and "" in high definition and trophy support. Additionally, the collection includes HD cinematic scenes from "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days". The idea of a full remake, like "Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories", was considered for "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days". However, it was later scrapped in favor of an almost 3 hour long cinematic retelling of the game. New voice work was done for "358/2 Days" and the HD collection has "70% of the main plot." It was released in Japan on March 14, 2013, in North America on September 10, 2013, in Australia on September

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix in the arena were adjusted to account for this. The inclusion of the "Final Mix" version in the collection marked the first time for this version to be released outside Japan. "Kingdom Hearts Re:coded" was also included in the collection, featuring the Nintendo DS game adapted into a cinematic retelling, similar to how "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days" was included in "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix". The title is set after "Kingdom Hearts II" and follows the discovery of Jiminy Cricket's journal, which chronicles Sora's fight against the Heartless and Organization XIII, which is found to have two secret messages written

neg: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories remade for the PlayStation 2, titled "Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories". It was developed by Square Enix's fifth Product Development Division, based in Osaka, and released as the second disc of "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+" in Japan on March 29, 2007 and as a standalone title in North America on December 2, 2008. It has not been released in Europe or Australia for the PlayStation 2, but has seen a worldwide release as part of "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix". The remake includes polygonal 3D battles and worlds using the same graphics as "Kingdom Hearts", as well as voice

neg: High-definition remasters for PlayStation consoles expressed interest in "HD versions" and was "researching them" for his "Kingdom Hearts" series. He said, "I would like to do something about the series being spread over so many different consoles, too. I am thinking a lot about the future." In September 2012, Square Enix announced "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix", a compilation for the PlayStation 3 including both "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and "" in HD with Trophy support. Additionally, the collection included HD cinematic scenes from "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", and released internationally in 2013. The following year, "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix" released on PS3, containing

neg: Organization XIII Organization XIII The concept of the Organization was originally introduced in "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" within a bonus ending titled "Another Side, Another Story [deep dive]", where their Japanese name was translated as the "Thirteenth Order". The group was later introduced as the "Organization" in the game "", where they serve as the main antagonists, and returns in the same role in "Kingdom Hearts II". Organization XIII is prominently featured in "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days" as characters available for play, along with a new female member named Xion. Several members, prior to becoming Nobodies, appear in "Kingdom Hearts Birth by

neg: Sephiroth (Final Fantasy) human side." His first appearance outside "Final Fantasy VII" was as a selectable character in the fighting game "Ehrgeiz". A redesigned Sephiroth also appears in the North American and European versions of "Kingdom Hearts" as an optional boss character in Olympus Coliseum. Lance Bass voiced Sephiroth in this game, while in subsequent titles he was replaced by George Newbern. In the Japanese re-release of the game, "Final Mix", an additional scene was added in which Sephiroth fights Cloud, although the result of the fight is not revealed. Sephiroth was not included in the sequel "", as director Tetsuya Nomura could

neg: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep of "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+". The plot was completed, but development was halted six months after it began due to development of "Re:Chain of Memories". When development resumed, the team changed the platform to the PlayStation Portable so as to make use of the PSP's functions such as co-operative and competitive multiplayer gameplay. The title of the game is based on "II Final Mix"s secret ending, "Birth by Sleep", a title which director Tetsuya Nomura developed as he wanted a phrase having "by" as well as to use an English title like previous games. Nomura has referred to the

neg: Ventus (Kingdom Hearts) connection would be revealed in "Birth by Sleep". Video game websites also commented on Ventus's first appearance, initially confusing him for Roxas during the development of "Birth by Sleep", but has since been well received. Before being introduced in "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep", Ventus made cameos in the secret endings of "Kingdom Hearts II" and its re-release, "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", which depict him and his friends Terra and Aqua battling Master Xehanort and Vanitas. Ventus is also shown in a cameo in "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days" when Xion, a replica of Roxas, appears as Ventus while fighting

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix triggered by pressing the Triangle Button. The camera works more similarly to that of "Kingdom Hearts II", utilizing the right thumb stick to move the camera and allowing the player to click the R3 button to reset the camera behind Sora, as opposed to the original game which made use of the shoulder triggers L2 and R2 to position the camera. Overall, the gameplay of "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" was modified so it would play more similarly to "Kingdom Hearts II" and "Re:Chain of Memories", to create a more consistent play style throughout the series. It was released in North

neg: Kingdom Hearts (video game) Alchemist and the Broken Angel" the developers, Racjin, looked at other titles for inspiration, particularly "Kingdom Hearts" when making the game. Multiple versions of "Kingdom Hearts" have been released. The first was the original Japanese release, followed by the North American and PAL releases, which includes additional content. The game was later re-released in Japan as "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix", which features the content of the North American/PAL release, as well as more new content. Both Square and Disney also released numerous types of merchandise before and after the release of the game. Merchandise ranged from toys and figurines to

neg: Music of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Original Soundtrack" is a three-disc album containing music from the games "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep" and "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", as well as "Kingdom Hearts Re:coded", composed by Yoko Shimomura. It was released on February 2, 2011. Discs one and two contain music from "Birth by Sleep", and disc three contains music from "358/2 Days" (tracks 1 through 13), "Re:coded" (tracks 14 through 20), and "Birth by Sleep: Final Mix" (tracks 21 through 27). Tracks from "358/2 Days" and "Re:coded" are in pure orchestrated form, and are not digitized as they are in the original game releases.

neg: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep II Final Mix" meant to bring clues of "Birth by Sleep". The game was directed by Tetsuya Nomura and co-directed by Tai Yasue. Nomura has referred to the game as "Episode 0" (and later "Episode 0.1" following the release of "Kingdom Hearts χ") saying that the game is on the same scale and plays as big an importance as "Kingdom Hearts" and "Kingdom Hearts II". The game has been well-received, selling 1.27 million copies worldwide as of November 2010, and receiving positive comments by video game publications. Critics praised the gameplay, graphics, music, and storyline of the game, with criticism

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Darkness. The story then picks up immediately after the secret ending of "Birth by Sleep Final Mix", and lasts around the length of one world from the series. The content features a world assembled from fragments of worlds previously found in "Birth by Sleep". The "double flight" ability returns, which allows Aqua to leap higher and do a mid-air double jump, while also gaining a burst of speed mid-jump. "Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover", a cinematic film, is set during the events of "Kingdom Hearts χ" and tells the story from the Foretellers' perspectives, explaining their actions during the game's

neg: Tifa Lockhart unlockable character and an optional boss. She later appears in the electronic board games "Itadaki Street Special" and "Itadaki Street Portable". In "Kingdom Hearts II", she appears in her "Advent Children" attire, searching for Cloud and later fighting various Heartless, the series' monsters. She was originally planned to appear in the "Final Mix" version of the original "Kingdom Hearts", but due to time constraints the staff members chose to incorporate Sephiroth instead. Tifa is one of player characters in the fighting game "Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy", which features characters from various "Final Fantasy" games. She is featured in her "Final

neg: Roxas (Kingdom Hearts) other characters. With "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", Nomura wanted to reveal why Roxas left Organization XIII. Although Nomura found it a sad story, he considered Zack Fair's ending in "" to be more tragic. Nomura felt Roxas' last words in the game were also the title's most significant, as he wanted them to connect to "Kingdom Hearts II"s first scene, which is actually the same scene. Uchiyama expressed sadness when the game's development ended as he would not play the character for a long time. "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix"s secret ending features a character named Ventus who bears a

neg: Billy Zane installments, Zane was replaced by Richard Epcar for the rest of the series from "Kingdom Hearts II" onwards. Zane's performance, however, was kept for the "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" remaster in "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMix". In 2006, Zane starred in Arthur Allan Seidelman's West End production of "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks" as an acerbic gay dance instructor opposite Claire Bloom. The same year, he appeared in the Turkish film "Valley of the Wolves Iraq" ("Kurtlar Vadisi: Irak" in Turkish), part of the Kurtlar Vadisi franchise. The film tells the story of the U.S. Army run amok in

neg: Shanelle Workman Hearts HD 2.5 Remix" (archive sound only for Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix) and the upcoming "Kingdom Hearts III". Her sister, Ariel, also voiced a role in the series, playing Young Kairi in "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. She also provided the voice for the character Alestia Lallis in "Mass Effect". Workman owns Gray Studios LA with her husband, David Barry Gray. Workman is the older sister of actor Jimmy Workman and actress Ariel Winter. On September 9, 2007, Workman married actor David Barry Gray. The couple have two daughters, Skylar Athena (born May 2, 2009) and Parker Eleni (born

neg: Kingdom Hearts III able to be done in "Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage" with Aqua, as that feature does not return for "Kingdom Hearts III". Nomura also preferred DLC to expand or change the game over releasing a "Final Mix" version as had been done with some past entries in the series. At D23 Japan 2018, Square Enix revealed the game was being developed in three sections, with approximately three worlds in each section. At that time, the worlds in the first section were said to be 90 percent complete and development of the middle section at around

neg: Kingdom Hearts Kairi, and the Heartless. On May 14, 2002, a press release announced a list of the English voice actors. The list included Haley Joel Osment, David Gallagher, and Hayden Panettiere as the three new characters introduced into the game. It was also announced that many of the Disney characters would be voiced by the official voice actors from their respective Disney films. A secret trailer in the first "Kingdom Hearts" and "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" hinted at the possibility of a sequel. Rumors for a sequel on the PlayStation 2 were spurred in Japan when a Japanese video game site,

neg: Kingdom Hearts III like a pretty drastic change, but I see it as a rich evolution of everything we've shown you up to now." Nomura also revealed that Sora is the same proportions as in previous games; however, they "muted the volume on his hair—it's not wild." Regarding updating Sora's look from his "Kingdom Hearts II" design, Nomura noted that outfit's popularity, but felt "the desire to change it" since the game is the first numbered sequel since "II"s release. He added that the basis for the resulting design is a mix between Sora's costumes for "Kingdom Hearts II" and "Dream Drop Distance",

neg: Kingdom Hearts II a week of its release. One month after its North American release, it had sold over one million copies and was the second best-selling game of 2006. By April 2007, the game had shipped over four million copies worldwide. The game has been included by gaming publications in lists of the greatest video games of all time. The "Final Mix" version of the game was re-mastered in high definition and released globally in 2014 as a part of the "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix" collection for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. The gameplay of "Kingdom Hearts II" is similar

neg: High-definition remasters for PlayStation consoles "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", "Birth by Sleep Final Mix", and HD remastered cinematic scenes from "". The inclusion of "Birth by Sleep Final Mix" marked the first time that the final mix version was released outside Japan. Since the launch of the PlayStation 4, some developers have decided to take advantage of the more powerful hardware and remaster their previously released PlayStation 3 titles on the newer platform. Some of these previous titles also appeared on the Xbox 360 and some have been remastered for release on Xbox One and Microsoft Windows as well. These remastered versions sometimes include

neg: Terra (Kingdom Hearts) portrayal in "Birth by Sleep". An early character concept for Terra first appeared in the secret endings of "Kingdom Hearts II" and "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", titled "The Gathering" and "Birth by Sleep", respectively. Additionally, the latter game includes the Lingering Will as an optional boss that is accessible upon clearing the game's story. The prequel "Birth by Sleep" introduces Terra as an apprentice Keyblade wielder who trains alongside Aqua and Ventus at the Land of Departure. Early in the game, Terra is denied the rank of Keyblade Master when his mentor and father figure, Master Eraqus, detects a

neg: Kingdom Hearts III previous entries, this time known as "Links", where an additional character joins the battle to assist the player with specialized attacks. Situation Commands also return from previous entries, which can trigger the Keyblade transformations. Nomura revealed that Keyblade transformations were conceived as early as the development of "Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix" and would be similar to Aqua's ability in "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep", saying, "Each Keyblade transformation is unlocked by clearing all missions in one of [the game's] worlds, and each individual world offers its own unique Keyblade transformation." He further elaborated stating there were two forms each

neg: Kingdom Hearts (video game) clothing items and books. Like the "Final Fantasy" games, Square released an "Ultimania" book on "Kingdom Hearts" in Japan following the release of the game and a revised edition following the release of "Final Mix". In North America, a strategy guide was released by Brady Games. It featured a comprehensive walkthrough and a sticker activity journal. A manga series based on the game was released in Japan and the United States. A novel series also based on the game was released in Japan. It was authored by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano. The novel series consists of two

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix Hearts Final Mix", which were either unvoiced or used English voice acting, now use the original Japanese voice acting in the Japanese release; the voice acting remains unchanged in the English-language releases. "358/2 Days" was originally planned to receive a full remake for the compilation similar to "Re:Chain of Memories", but due to the lengthy development time it would require, it was instead presented as an extended HD cinematic retelling the game's events. Every cutscene from "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", whether it was originally a pre-rendered scene or used in-game graphics, was re-animated for the cinematic. In January 2013, Jesse

neg: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep has been written by Tomoko Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano. Its first volume, "Something Strange" was published by Square Enix on December 24, 2010, the second - "Best Friends" - on February 24, 2011, and the third and final volume, "To the Future", on May 26, 2011. Additionally, the tracks featured in the game have been released as part of a three-disc album which includes the soundtracks from "Birth by Sleep", "358/2 Days" and "coded". In early 2010, Nomura was asked in an interview if Square Enix would release an international "Final Mix" of "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep,"

neg: Characters of Kingdom Hearts Tilmitt, make recurring appearances as residents of the Destiny Islands. The three serve as optional sparring partners early in the first game. Cloud Strife appears in "Kingdom Hearts" at Olympus Coliseum, based on Disney's "Hercules". In the game, he is a mercenary hired by Hades to kill Hercules in exchange for the whereabouts of Sephiroth, who is an optional boss included in the North American, PAL, and "Final Mix" releases of the game. Cloud and Tifa Lockhart later appear in "Kingdom Hearts II" as allies of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee; Sephiroth also returns here as an optional boss, and

neg: Music of Kingdom Hearts (rendered "A Night on the Bare Mountain") by Modest Mussorgsky, and a remixed version of "One-Winged Angel" by "Final Fantasy" series composer Nobuo Uematsu. Some Disney worlds in "Kingdom Hearts" feature corresponding music from their related Disney film. Original tracks include the title screen track, "Dearly Beloved", and the two theme songs, "Simple and Clean" and "Sanctuary". The soundtracks feature a mix of piano and orchestral pieces. The main themes differ from the other music in that they are pop songs. The series also features several vocal songs—the most notable being the two theme songs. "Kingdom Hearts II" includes more

neg: Toy Story (franchise) in the "Toy Story" series. Although the film was criticized for not using the same animation as in "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2", it sold three million VHS and DVDs in its first week of release. Pixar created original animations for the games, including fully animated sequences for PC titles. Woody and Buzz Lightyear were originally going to appear in the "Final Mix" version of the Disney/Square Enix video game "Kingdom Hearts II." They were omitted from the final product, but their models appear in the game's coding, without textures. The director of the "Kingdom Hearts" series, Tetsuya Nomura,

neg: Kingdom Hearts II was released the following year. The game has also been novelized by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by Shiro Amano. The first volume, titled "Roxas—Seven Days", was released on April 22, 2006 and covers Roxas' story to when Sora wakes up and leaves Twilight Town. The novel depicts extra scenes that were added in the "Final Mix" version, such as interaction between Organization XIII members and between Axel, Naminé and Riku. The second book, "The Destruction of Hollow Bastion", was released on July 16, 2006, the third book, "Tears of Nobody," revolving around Roxas' past, was released on September 29, 2006,

neg: Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance elements from the series based on the system previously seen in "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep". Additionally, both the gameplay and the plot are meant to give a glimpse about what the following title in the series, "Kingdom Hearts III", will be like. The game has been well received in Japan and in the US, selling over 250,000 and 180,000 units on its debuts respectively. A HD remaster of the game titled Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD was released for the PlayStation 4 in 2017 as part of the "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" collection. The game,

neg: Aqua (Kingdom Hearts) of Sora, whom she had encountered as a young boy during her travels. "Birth by Sleep Final Mix", an update of "Birth by Sleep", features a secret episode that slightly expands on Aqua's time in the Realm of Darkness, battling Heartless with Eraqus's Keyblade. In "", Aqua is revealed to be one of the many people connected with Sora's heart. She also makes a cameo in "" as part of Sora's memories and in the ending where she is still at the shores in the dark realm. Aqua reappears in "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" as the main

neg: Roxas (Kingdom Hearts) is his Nobody, created during the events of the first game after briefly turning into a Heartless, and inducted into the Organization for his ability to capture hearts with the Keyblade; however, Roxas later betrayed the Organization and encountered one of Sora's friends, Riku, who captured him to restore Sora. Roxas makes two appearances near the end of the game: the first is in a mental battle with Sora depicted as a cut-scene, and the second is with Naminé, who has merged with her other self, Kairi. In the re-released version of the title, "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix", Roxas'

neg: Organization XIII The introduction of Xion in trailers for "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", created expectation, particularly based on the facts that her face could not be distinguished and that she wields a keyblade. In the 2009 Nintendo Power Awards, the magazine's readers voted Xion the "Best New Character" of the year. Organization XIII The concept of the Organization was originally introduced in "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" within a bonus ending titled "Another Side, Another Story [deep dive]", where their Japanese name was translated as the "Thirteenth Order". The group was later introduced as the "Organization" in the game "", where they serve

neg: Tetsuya Nomura of Cloud Strife. He split the role of directing with Takeshi Nozue. "Kingdom Hearts II" was released in 2005, resolving the elements foreshadowed in the first game's secret ending. As a result of being set a year after previous titles, Nomura was careful to make the plot accessible to newcomers. After Square Enix had finished development of the updated version "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+", Nomura was approached by Disney which expressed interest in a sequel. He said "We have various ideas, but we're not at the point where we can say that." Wishing to stop using the character of

neg: Ventus (Kingdom Hearts) only developed the backstory for Terra, Aqua and Ventus and not their appearances, but had to finish their design for the end of game cameo. Nomura did not reveal their identities, and only stated that the three character were from the chronological past of the "Kingdom Hearts" series. Following their release, Nomura stated that his nickname was Ven. Ventus was first mentioned by the character Lingering Sentiment in "Final Mix" as Ven, while his full name was still unrevealed. He also mentioned a connection between him and Xemnas but wanted to leave it up to people's imaginations as he still

neg: Organization XIII should have room for fans to speculate and use their imagination. In "Chain of Memories", the staff had several of the Organization's members defeated as part of the plot. For "Kingdom Hearts II", Nomura intended to allow players to fight these members again at the Coliseum; this idea, however, was dropped due to time constraints. The characters were later included in "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" along with the rest of the members as phantoms called "Absent Silhouettes" in separate optional boss fights. Since the battles were optional, the difficulty levels of the fights was increased and the "Chain of

neg: Kingdom Hearts II II" has been released in four different versions. The first three are the normal regional releases in Japan, North America, and PAL regions, which only differ nominally in content editing and localization. The European and Australian PAL releases were reformatted to run at 50 Hz to fit the definition size of PAL encoding systems. The fourth version has additional content and was released under the title "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix". Like the previous titles, both Square and Disney released numerous types of merchandise before and after the game came out. Merchandise ranged from toys and figurines to clothing items

neg: Kingdom Hearts (video game) The opening orchestration and ending credits theme were arranged and orchestrated by Kaoru Wada and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. The main vocal theme for the original Japanese release is titled . The English version of "Hikari", "Simple and Clean", was used in the Western releases and the Japanese re-release, "Final Mix". Both versions were composed and performed by Hikaru Utada. Her involvement, along with the Japanese song title, was announced in January 2002. Utada was the only singer Nomura had in mind for the "Kingdom Hearts" theme song. This marked the first time Utada had produced a

neg: Music of Kingdom Hearts later released in Europe on November 25, 2002 by Virgin Records and the United States on March 23, 2003 by Walt Disney Records. The soundtrack is a 2-CD set which contains most of music in the original version of the game along with two bonus tracks. The music was composed by Yoko Shimomura, with vocals done by Hikaru Utada for "Simple And Clean" and ""Hikari"". The orchestral music was arranged by Kaoru Wada and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. Because "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" was released after the soundtrack, additional tracks from it were not included. The soundtrack

neg: Genie (Disney) his own copy of the Keyblade (excluding the Limit Form in "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix"). The Genie also appears briefly in "Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days", interacting with Xion and Roxas as they make their way back to Agrabah. Genie (Disney) The Genie is a fictional jinni appearing in Walt Disney Pictures' animated feature film "Aladdin" (1992). He was voiced by Robin Williams in the first film. Following a contract dispute between Williams and the Walt Disney Company, Dan Castellaneta voiced the Genie throughout the direct-to-video feature "The Return of Jafar", as well as the television series, before Williams reprised

neg: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep reserved for the level design and the characters. A high definition version of the "Final Mix" edition was released for the PlayStation 3 in 2014 and PlayStation 4 in 2017 as a part of the "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix" collection. "Birth by Sleep" is an action role-playing game with hack and slash elements that introduces a gameplay aspect to the series called the Command System. This system allows players to customize a Command Deck with techniques and abilities that they can perform at will, called Deck Commands. Performing ordinary attacks and Commands fills a gauge displayed above the Command

neg: Music of Kingdom Hearts is the theme song to the English release of the games as well as the Japanese re-release of the first game, "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix". Both songs were written and performed by Hikaru Utada. This marked the first time she had produced a song for a video game. Although the two songs share a similar melody and background music, the meaning of the songs' lyrics differ as "Simple and Clean" is not a literal translation of ""Hikari"". The single, ""Hikari"", was released in Japan on March 20, 2002 and proved to be very popular; it sold over 270,000 copies in

neg: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Ice Cream Beat minigame. A new boss known only as the Unknown appears in the overseas versions, as well as a new gameplay element called "Crown Stickers", which act much the same way as the Puzzle Pieces from "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix". The game also has a notable voice-acting cast of returning members such as Jesse McCartney and James Woods, as well as numerous new actors such as Willa Holland, Jason Dohring, Leonard Nimoy, and Mark Hamill. An Ultimania guidebook of the game was released on March 25, 2010. Like previous games, a light novel of "Birth by Sleep"

neg: Music of Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories", and "Kingdom Hearts II". The boxset contains music composed and produced by Yoko Shimomura, with the main orchestral tracks arranged by Kaoru Wada. The album also features various unreleased tracks from the series, as well as new and rearranged versions of tracks from the two "Final Mix" releases and "Re:Chain of Memories". The compilation boxset was released in Japan on March 28, 2007. The collection has printed images on each disc and includes a deluxe booklet containing new illustrations designed by director and character designer Tetsuya Nomura and comments from Yoko Shimomura. A special CD carrying case

neg: Kingdom Hearts III to the final showdown between Sora and Master Xehanort. By the start of the game, Sora has completed his Mark of Mastery, which he was attempting to do at the end of "Dream Drop Distance". "Kingdom Hearts III" will serve as the final chapter of the "Dark Seeker/Xehanort" saga, with Nomura revealing that the plot of the game will pick up "immediately after the events of "Dream Drop Distance"." He also added that the plot will examine the seven lights and thirteen darknesses coming together for the final battle, but that everyone that is expected to fulfill these roles may

neg: Organization XIII reasons, a new Organization XIII is formed from various incarnations of Xehanort from across time, including Xemnas, "Ansem", and members who succeeded in becoming "half Xehanort". This gathering is accomplished by a younger version of Xehanort that is granted the power of time travel by his future self. is the leader of Organization XIII, ranked first as the . First appearing in "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" as an optional boss labeled , he is identified in "Kingdom Hearts II" and "Birth by Sleep" as the Nobody of Terra-Xehanort, the fusion of Terra and Xehanort, while his name is derived from

neg: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue events. Nomura revealed that "Back Cover" would utilize technology being developed for "Kingdom Hearts III", and would be approximately one hour in length. "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" was released in Japan on January 12, 2017, and worldwide on January 24, 2017. It was originally scheduled to be released in December 2016. Preorders for the game included an official Disney Collector's Pin for the game. "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" was later bundled with the "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix" collection as part of a new compilation, "Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far", scheduled

neg: Kingdom Hearts III on "HD 2.5 Remix" simultaneously allowed the developers to learn all the best qualities from the series to aid in creating "III", saying "For "III" we want to evolve it in a new direction, but at the same time we don't want to change what is fundamental about "Kingdom Hearts"." Additionally, he stated the "Kingdom Hearts" team was sharing knowledge with the "Final Fantasy XV" team to expand the game and get the most out of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In June 2015, Nomura revealed that development was on track and that secret films were being considered. He

neg: Universe of Kingdom Hearts the "World That Never Was" are the final worlds of "Kingdom Hearts" and "Kingdom Hearts II", respectively. In "Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep", the Land of Departure serves as the tutorial world, while the final world in the game is the Keyblade Graveyard, where each of the main characters' final battles take place prior to the game's final episode. Hollow Bastion plays a central role in the backstory of the series, as the home world of a majority of the "Final Fantasy" characters who appear in "Kingdom Hearts", as well as the original home of Ansem the Wise, the ruler