Feature By

Dale Weir

At some time or another, we have all wondered what sort of revolutionary creations could be unleashed on the gaming public should our favorite developers, or just two developers at the top of their game, were to actually work together. Ever since the Sega/Nintendo console wars in the early 1990s, I myself have dreamt of the day when Sega and Nintendo would bury the hatchet and create a game or games featuring their fabled mascots or gaming properties. Interestingly enough, developer collaborations have occurred before with no small degree of success. Square and its then close business partner, Nintendo, created one of the more memorable game releases in Super Mario RPG for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The very idea that Square was creating a game with Nintendo characters was enough make this release a video game classic. More recently, Capcom and SNK put aside their differences and gave 2-D fighting fans Capcom Versus SNK, a release that can only be deemed a dream come true.

Though the fans may love them, there are any untold number of reasons why such collaborations do not happen. For one thing, these kinds of projects take time and money and must overcome the legal hurdles while appeasing both sides. Such alliances don’t happen very often. However, one company that has been more than willing over the years to work with third-party developers is Disney. It was Disney that first tapped Capcom to create platform titles like Mickey's Magical Quest and Goof Troop on the SNES and later it employed Rare to design Mickey's Speedway USA. What makes these titles different, however, is that they were essentially outsourced projects. It still wasn’t a real cooperative effort, or at least, not on the level of what gamers would have liked—that is until now.

Kingdom Hearts marks the first joint project between Square and Disney Interactive. Coincidentally, as was the case with its Nintendo project, Super Mario RPG, Kingdom Hearts will be a role-playing game with an emphasis on action. Square brings its years of experience with the genre, its visual acumen, and reputation to the table with this release. What Disney brings to the table is a wealth of classic Disney characters and worlds that already benefit from years of existence in the imaginations of Disney lovers all around the world.

Kingdom Hearts is the story of Sora, young boy whose world is shattered when a violent storm hits his island-paradise home, and he is separated from his two closest friends, Riku and Kairi. The storm scatters the trio to different and unknown worlds. While searching for his friends in this mysterious new land, Sora meets Court Wizard Donald and Captain Goofy, protectors of the Disney Castle. As it turns out, they are on a mission to find King Mickey who has also disappeared without explanation. The three learn of ominous creatures known as the Heartless—beings without hearts derived from an unknown dimension and, as it turns out, the ones responsible for the devastating storm. While the Heartless invade and destroy many worlds, the Disney villains collaborate behind the scenes to realize their devious intentions. Upon discovering the link between the Heartless, the storm and the disappearance of the King, Sora, Donald and Goofy join forces to recover Sora’s friends, return the King to his rightful position and save the universe from the Heartless.

We’ll delve into this historic release in the following pages. As usual, each image is accompanied by GameCritics.com’s stellar commentary. Warning: some mild spoilers exist within the following pages, proceed at your own risk.

For more insight into the upcoming release of the game, don't forget to check out our Kingdom Hearts Art Gallery.

© 2002 Disney
Developed by SQUARESOFT

Tarzan^TM Owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and Used by Permission
© 2002 Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Developed by SQUARESOFT