Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (Nintendo Game Boy Advance, 2004)

The game centers around Sora (from Final Fantasy) Goofy and Donald Duck as they are looking for their friends. In the beginning of the game a mysterious man appears thus leading them on a journey to Castle Oblivion which has many worlds full of the characters from Final Fantasy and Disney. The graphics are incredible. There is is a well written story line that keeps you intrigued. The game really puts your strategic skills to work as you combine different cards types to build a hand to win battles. Each of the worlds is a different disney theme and contains a very different boss. And if you want to take a break from battle, Jiminy Cricket has kept a journal on everything. It is by far the best graphics and animation I have seen on the GBA. I enjoyed having to think out and plan a different strategy for each world and boss. And the story concept is great. It is a must have for RPG lovers.

Ah, Kingdom Hearts. A legend on the PS2, and now making its debut on the GBA. I've heard so much about this game, I simply have to try it out myself. So, it goes that I spent $35 from my latest paycheck on the game, and thankfully, it didn't disappoint.

To be honest, I'm not a keen fan of RPGs, primarily due to the need for repetitive, randomized battles just so that your character can level up. There are a few exceptions, like X-Men Legends for example, that incorporated these battles into the story seamlessly, making it less mindless. But the majority of RPGs still rely on such battles, and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is not an exception.

Fortunately, the Kingdom Hearts brand is more than just repetitive battles. The fact that it incorporates a card-based fighting system makes the exchanges a little more interesting than merely just swinging your weapons all the time. The need for specific cards during battle means that building up a deck is important. Different stages, or "worlds", as witnessed in this game, require different strategies, which means it's not a good idea to approach them with only one set of cards. The cards also allow you to do combos and special attacks, which will please fans who enjoy a more advanced form of fighting other than mere melee.

Of course, card-based fighting also means that fighting itself is restricted to what cards you've. Some argue that this takes away the spontaneity of battle. To a certain extent, this is true. Also, while the system calls for strategized battles, the battle will become so intense towards the end that you simply won't have the time to plan. These take away the intention of the system. Still, it's not to that much of a problem that it'll take away your enjoyment of the game.

It also helps that the graphics for this game is really good. You should already know that Kingdom Hearts incorporates characters from Square and Disney, so apart from enjoying the beautiful backgrounds in the various worlds, you also get to see great renditions of familiar characters like Aladdin, Ariel, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pinocchio and Winnie the Pooh. If you've a lady who's not very keen of you playing games all the time, these should convince her to let you have a go!

The audios is this game are also enjoyable, even though they're mostly rehashed from the original Kingdom Hearts. Each world has its own set of music, and they generally complement the mood of the world nicely. A minor issue I had is that somehow the music tends to turn softer at times by itself. This happens for a period of about a few seconds before reverting back to normal. It's not a big issue, but it does bother me because it happens so often. The again, it could be the game, it could be the catridge, or it could even be my GBA.

In summary, this is a game that I'd recommend for gaming fans who like a good RPG. It'd have got a higher score if the dialogues weren't so cheesy, and if it had added some puzzle elements. Still, a great game overall, and the fact that it unlocks an additional mode after you beat the game just makes it all the more good for replay value.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is an awkward sequel to one of the most compelling RPGs on the PS2. The Kingdom Hearts franchise is best know for its deep storyline, fast gameplay, and intriguing characters. However, gameplay is were COM drops the ball.

Graphics:
The graphics in COM are awe inspiring, especially since it is on the GBA. With a beautiful opening CG and character sprites that rival that of the older Final Fantasies your eyes will be immersed in the graphical splendor that is COM.

Audio:
The soundtrack is decent, but very reminiscent of KH I, as most (if not all) the songs were merely ported to the GBA. The sound effects are well done, but they won't shock and amaze you.

Controls:
The controls for COM are a little awkward at first. Movement with a D-pad and the use of the shoulder buttons may confuse, but after about 30 mins of playing you should be able to handle the field movement and battles fairly well. The "3D" screens are a bit hard to navigate with a D-pad, but it isn't that bad.

Storyline:
The story, as expected of a KH title, is amazing. Most of the characters from KH I return, and many new villains are added, spicing up this sequel. It also explains what transpired during the gap between KH I and KH II. You will be drawn into the characters and will actually care how events unfold.

Gameplay:
The reason why COM isn't seen in GBAs everywhere is the lack-luster repetitive gameplay. The areas are set up into annoying rooms that spawn a certain number of enemies in relation to a card used to gain entrance to said room (therefore no experience is the same.) Though enemies can be seen on screen you will switch to a battle screen upon approach, wherein lies the problem. Battles are boring and repetitive, where mastering the "attacks" isn't enjoyable, since you can win most battles by simply pressing the attack buttons and just going through your deck of cards. Battles are either ridiculously easy or rather hard, resulting in an odd mix of boredom and frustration.

So, in essence, the gameplay of COM is very restricting and is only slightly reminiscent of the winning formula in KH I. However, the amazing storyline, and depth of this title will keep many playing it, despite its shortcomings.

Kingdom Hearts is a great series for anyone who likes disney or final fantasy, and plays along the lines of an rpg/action game. This game incorporates more strategy than action and requires you to think as you run around and decide which cards to use and how to use them to attack. Overall this game is honestly the worst out of the Kingdom Hearts series, but is a good game to play and to learn the story of Kingdom Hearts

When I bought my GBA SP I wanted to see if there are any games for it that Playstation and other expensive consoles have.
It seemed that there are some games like Final fantasy and kingdom hearts... I heard bad comments about the FF so I decided to go for the KH.
When I recieved it I was very exited (except for the fact that the instruction booklet was spanish). the intro was very impressive and so was the game.

my rating for the game:
Story - 5/5 - includes Disney charecters and Final Fantasy characters. the plot itself is cool too
Sound - 2/5 (they seem to abandon the sound)
Graphics - 5/5 - the graphics are super for a GBA game
controls - 4/5 - easy to get used to.
gameplay - 4/5
price - for me it was very cheap (in Israel GBA games are selling for about 35-40$)

I strongly recommand this game!