Originally, Kingdom Hearts was so difficult that at Square they compared it to a Takeshi Kitano game
Let's get to it!
- December 31, 2024
- Updated: January 15, 2025 at 6:40 AM
If, like me, you remember the launch of the first Kingdom Hearts, it’s time to go to the pharmacy to reserve the Sintrom. The Square saga is already 22 years old (read it again: 22!) and even the most ardent fan would take hours to explain the surface of its incredibly complex plot that navigates through main games, spin-offs, prequels, sequels, and even post-credits of compilations. It’s a mess. And the worst part is not that, but that originally, in addition to the complexity of its plot, we would have had to add the complexity of the game itself.
Another puzzle, it’s war!
According to Tetsuya Nomura, his initial idea for the game was very different from what we ended up having: “My concept was a game with a lot of depth, something you could play for a long time. I wanted to try to make a game where the player could do anything. Although Kingdom Hearts is from Disney, there are still some hardcore elements“. In fact, as an example, he mentions that it has a 3D map but not a 2D mini-map, forcing players to get lost and explore the cities and worlds.
And originally it was even more complex: “We had some puzzles that made you think ‘What is this, Takeshi’s Challenge?’. We lowered the difficulty a bit, but it’s still harder than most mainstream releases today”. If you don’t know what Takeshi’s Challenge is, you’re lucky: it’s a NES game created by Takeshi Kitano famous for its extreme difficulty: basically, if you don’t know all its tricks and little quirks, like hitting the start screen 30,720 times to reach the final boss immediately, it’s almost impossible to progress.
Luckily, Kingdom Hearts is much easier to understand than that game, but not because Nomura wanted it to be initially. “It’s the Disney factor, it’s the wolf in sheep’s clothing, right? I think the gameplay defies players’ expectations“. It certainly does. At least you don’t have to hit anyone 30,720 times with the keyblade to unlock anything!
Editor specializing in pop culture who writes for websites, magazines, books, social networks, scripts, notebooks and napkins if there are no other places to write for you.
Latest from Randy Meeks
- The 6 video game sequels you didn't know existed
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has performed well, but now at Square they only trust in multiplatforms
- You didn't know it, but the world of chess just suffered because of some cowboys
- The game that the writers of Sonic 3 want to adapt now is a classic (and you would love to see it in theaters)
You may also like
Top 5 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2025
Read more
A Rise in Password Stealers: How to Combat This Dangerous Malware
Read more
5 Security Resolutions for 2025 to Stay Protected Online
Read more
The 6 video game sequels you didn't know existed
Read more
How can you identify a financial scam on social media?
Read more
Identity Theft Threats are growing in recent months
Read more