D23, Disney’s own little nerd convention, just wrapped up its video game showcase. We got awesome looks at Battlefront, Spider-Man, some virtual and augmented reality that’s going to be on clearance at Best Buy in a few months, and finally the game I’ve been waiting my whole life to play. To say I’m excited for Kingdom Hearts 3 isn’t just an understatement, it’s an insult to my obsessive character. The Kingdom Hearts franchise has shaped my opinions on games. It’s fluid fighting system combined with deep item management and nostalgic flair is literally my perfect video game.
When I was in middle school, my mom told me she would get me one console. Halo and Xbox didn’t appeal to me because I’m a wussy who hates guns, so I had to choose between the Gamecube and PlayStation 2. I remember standing in that GameStop, both consoles in hand, unsure of what system I would be willing to devote my life to. There was one game on each I was dying to play: Kingdom Hearts on PlayStation 2 and Tak And The Power Of Juju on the Gamecube.
If you don’t remember Tak , there’s a reason: it was fucking terrible. I know this because I picked the Gamecube and juju beans, regretting my decision as soon as I got home and opened the box. Watching X-Play and reading Game Informer, I saw the Kingdom Hearts phenomom spawn in front of my very eyes. I was to naive, believing in flashy colors over style and substance.
The Gamecube is a great system and I don’t regret spending all of those hours with friends, linking our Game Boy Advances up with cables to play Legend Of Zelda: Four Swords and losing countless matches of Super Smash Bros. Melee . They were fine games that helped me through some serious school bullying and family troubles, but choosing Tak over Sora will always remain as my biggest mess up.
Cut to college, a time when I had too much disposal income and time. The retro video game craze was just starting, so old games and systems were still cheap and easily available. I bought a $50 PlayStation 2 and about 10 classic games that I never got to play, ranging from God Of War to the entire Jak & Daxter trilogy. I lost myself in these worlds, living the childhood I should have had all along. When I finally started playing Kingdom Hearts , I was hooked. I’d skip class to battle Ursula or the devil from Fantasia , slicing through every cut scene until I beat Ansem, the final Heartless boss. I felt a sense of pride that would only be usurped by beating Kingdom Hearts 2 in one Powerade fueled weekend.
Like every other sane video game fan, I’ve been waiting for Kingdom Hearts 3 to finally come out. Finding out there would be a Toy Story level and that John Lasseter, the godfather of Pixar, is involved, has me foaming at the mouth. Kingdom Hearts is the only place that can capture the magic of Disney in a game, where you submerge yourself in a universe that’s beautiful, terrifying, mystical and oddly familiar.
Even the weird army men chorus line ending couldn’t damper my excitement or spirits. I’m not sure I can make it to 2018, when Kingdom Hearts 3 might actually be released.
