Background:


A while back, Kingdom Hearts was the first game of it's kind. I don't mean it's video game engine. Nor do I mean it's Graphical style or it's Story. Kingdom Hearts created a combination of characters and elements from the parties of Square Enix and Disney. And in my opinion, mashing them together damn well. With a happy go lucky protagonist who deals with conflicts of many natures, beit the heart or the mind, and some familiar faces from both companies, Kingdom Hearts was a hit with many audiences. So it made sense to make a sequel right? Well before that happened, The developers of the Kingdom Hearts franchise wanted to capitalize on the growing (back then) Game Boy Advance market. And thus, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories was Born.

Graphics: 8/10

Back when this game was out, you didn't have many games make the visual jump from PS2 to GBA while keeping the overall style of the game. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is one of the few games that did. And compared to other games of the Game Boy Advance's library the cartoon-ish sprite work art style of Chain of Memories was easily identifiable and easily seen from the Game Boy Advance's screen, even if it was the original and not the SP version of the system. Using 2D Sprites in a 3D World wasn't unheard of, even back then, but Chain of Memories placed the camera in a perfect position for the map and action sections of the game. During map sections you can see Sora, the main protagonist, in a slightly top down perspective. This allows you to fully see much of that particular room's details making things easier to navigate. During Battle though, the camera changes to a much more action friendly 2D sidescroller perspective, allowing closer inspection of attacks (Both incoming and outgoing) and Enemies alike. Another plus is that the sprite work is fluid, for its time. Sora's trek through Castle Oblivion has you visiting worlds, both new and old, and every world has it's own elements and rooms that you can easily recognize after a while.  Alas, my only gripe with the visuals is actually not the game's fault. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories suffers from a case of "Ragged Sprite" syndrome whenever the camera zooms in. And in a lot of cases during action sequences, this happens quite a bit. But other than that, it is pretty damn good sprite work.

Sound: 7/10

Normally, a Game Boy Advance game had to sacrifice something in order to get the experience you wanted from home console to mobile platform. More often than not, this sacrifice was either horrible sounds and/or music. Lots of Games in the Game Boy Advance's library even borrowed sounds from other games. While Kingdom Hearts does borrow it's menu sounds and some of it's attack FX from Square Enix property, many of it's sound fx and music is original and vibrant. Not something you usually hear when you discuss a Game Boy Advance game. From the Destiny Island theme, to "This is Halloween" every piece of music is easily listenable, recognizable, and very much great to hear over and over again. Not to mention the original tracks of the game are divine, ranging from a mellow and dark violin piece, to a haunting organ and drums set piece. Though, it isn't exactly perfect. At times, the game can slow down, and the music with it as well as the Sound Effects. And more often than not, the "Voice Acting" in the game sometimes hits a Static Wall, during any heavy action. This distorts the sound and leaves you sometimes flinching or clenching physically. Nonetheless, the people who did the Sound for this game knew what they were doing. They just would've benefited from a little more time in the oven.


Addictiveness: 9/10

This game is ridiculously addictive. And you can chalk that up to it's card battle system. Creating the perfect deck takes time, especially when you want specific and rare enemy cards. The card battle system of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is a blend of Action RPG and TCG. A weird combination, I know, but one that works. Using the L and R shoulder buttons, you can cycle through cards in your deck during action events on the fly. Though keep in mind that you'll have to keep a nice stock of Keyblade Cards if you want to keep attacking. This Game Boy Advance game breaks from the *Through the roof* action RPG genre and takes a turn for the more tactical minded among us. It's a bold move, and one that works quite well when you get used to it. Not to mention there is a special set of cards you can only do after you beat the "Extra" story. While this game has no completion bonus, it does have a pretty dang good formula for getting you to play for hours on end. With Cards to collect, Experience to gain, Money to earn and things to kill, you'll be playing this game for quite a while if you hope to get it all.

Story: 8/10

Many people, both fans and not, believe that the story of Kingdom Hearts is hard to follow. And while I beg to differ, I shall do my best to present you, the reader, with as much information as possible without spoilers. You are Sora, the Keyblade's chosen wielder and warrior from Destiny Island. Set after the events of Kingdom Hearts 1. Sora (along with his companions Donald and Goofy) set out on a quest to find King Mickey and Sora's friend, Riku. While traveling a world they had never been to before, they spot Pluto, the King's Dog, with an envelope bearing the royal seal. They chase the canine to a creepy looking castle, teetering on the edge of a dark abyss. But before going in, the three make camp and sleep outside. That night Sora is visited by a figure in a black Cloak. The Mysterious Figure gives Sora a warning. "Along the road ahead lies something you need. However — in order to claim it, you must lose something that is dear to you."
And yet, even with that warning, Sora and friends run into the place known as "Castle Oblivion." So they can see if their friends is in the castle where to find is to lose, and to lose is to find.

Depth: 9/10

One other sacrifice Game Boy Advance games traded in, in order to become playable on a mobile platform was depth and overall "Meat" in the game. Usually games in the Game Boy Advance's Library were bare bones, with some exceptions. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is one of those exceptions. With lots of cards to collect, two stories to complete, an entire journal to fill and even Multiplayer with a link cable, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is surprisingly Deep for a Game Boy Advance game. And that's just the things to do. The combat of the game itself is, quite deeper than most. Some would even say it is too deep to handle, saying it's confusing or weird. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories sports an "Action Card" system. If you want to attack physically, you need attack cards. If you want to use Magic, you better have those cards in your deck. Summons as well, have their own cards, as do items. Gaining cards isn't hard though. Usually a random chest has them, relinquishing it's treasure after a good whack to the lid. Don't want to keep looking for treasure chests? Not a problem. Sometimes enemies like to drop cards too. And not just enemies. Give that nearby lamp post in twilight town a smack with sora's keyblade, and you might just find a card pop out. But, if you really want to do some fancy and awesome moves, then you need to learn "Sleights". Sleights are a combination of three cards, you can stock up and save in the corner of the screen. To activate a sleight, you need to meet the requirements of said sleight. Like having to stock three attack cards who's value total up to 15 or higher. Or mixing a Donald card with two Fire cards. Though you shouldn't use Sleights all the time. Every time you use a sleight, the first card you stocked leaves your deck for the rest of the fight. So if you keep doing sleights, you'll find yourself missing those critical attack or spell cards you'll need to stay alive. Along with the Card system is the usual Experience system of Role Playing Games. As per the usual, every time you defeat an enemy, you gain experience. Though this time you can actually see the experience in the form of orbs and crystals which is a nice touch. After getting enough to level up, Sora is allowed to chose one of three choices. Health, Card Points or Sleights. Health does just what the name implies. It gives Sora more HP, which allows you to take more hits before dying. Card Points adds to your Max Card Point total in your deck, allowing you to place more cards inside your deck and do even more things in battle. Sleights teaches you a new special move and unlocks that move for use on the field of battle. Though, no, you cannot use the sleight unless you unlock it. Trying to look up the sleights online will do you no good. You need to level up and unlock them by choosing sleight. Mastering this system will take time, but after a while it'll feel like second nature.

Here's a little tip for you: Always keep a "0" card at the end of your deck. You'll find that magical card in the back of your deck is the perfect spot for breaking the biggest and baddest attack your opponent has to offer. Trust me. It's saved me more than thrice.

Difficulty: 6/10

I'm not gonna lie. This game isn't THAT difficult. It has a sort of "Megaman" type of difficulty in the form of, if you know how the boss' attacks work then you've already won the fight. There are only a few hard fights here and there, most of them on the other story, but if you level up right and plan ahead then you shouldn't have much trouble. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories' difficulty mostly comes from it's bosses or Event fights. And that isn't saying much. There are some battles that will have you pulling your hair out and grinding for cards. But they are few and far in between. Sora's story mode is easy. Even speed running the game should be easy after a few tries, and that's saying something. A majority of the difficulty lies inside the Extra story which you unlock after beating Sora's. And while some fights are rage quit inducing, a lot of them are nothing more than regular enemies with extra tricks and a bigger health bar. And Sadly, this too goes for the end bosses.

Overall: 8.6/10
Kingdom Hearts is an Experience you have to see for yourself. It is not something I can just tell you about and you'll get. Nor is it something I can guarantee you will like. I will say that this game IS something every Game Boy Advance owner should play and finish at least once. It is something that truly shouldn't be missed. With it's good art style, it's memorable sound, it's very addicting game play and card system, it's confusing yet heartfelt story, it's massive depth that would make even the most avid of Game Boy Advance players want to cheat, and it's slightly higher than average difficulty, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is something no Game Boy Advance player should miss. But if you don't want the Game Boy Advance experience and want something a little more, full, then you're in luck. Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories for the PS2 gives you the same experience, but with 3D models and that classic Kingdom Hearts Feel.

But don't take my word for it. See for yourself!

Good review you have here. It's very informative, categorized, and breaks the game down well. Very impressive.

I can't say I agree with your opinion on the game (I thought on the whole it was terrible and something every gamer should try to avoid), but this is a terrific review in terms of quality, and everyone else should take note, and up their standards to this.

Eirinn : Wow. Thank you. To be perfectly honest, this is my first game review, but it is a game I feel passionate about. I thank you for your input and hope that I can deliver quality reviews in the future. Also, is your name a touhou reference?


legacyme3 : I respect your opinion, however false I may feel it may be, and thank you for your input. It's flattering to hear someone say such things about my first ever review on vizzed.

Not a problem at all. In fact, if the game didn't already have a featured review for it, I would have featured this one. It's definitely feature-worthy in terms of quality.

I can't wait to see your next review as well. Oh, and no, my name is actually a reference to my Irish heritage (Eirinn = Ireland).