Brace Yourselves, Kingdom Hearts III is Coming
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The wait is finally (almost) over. The renegade of the anime world, a Disney favorite and a (now) classic gaming series is closer than ever to revealing the third installment of the Kingdom Hearts franchise.
It’s been almost 15 years since the first release of Kingdom Hearts (2002) on Playstation 2 and 10 years since the sequel, Kingdom Hearts II (2005). While there have been remixes, remasters and small side stories available on handheld devices, the true third installment is right around the corner. The following games have all been small steps towards the upcoming release of the third game: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts coded, Kingdom Hearts 258/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Most were considered to be flops, but the gems that stand out (Birth By Sleep, 3D: Dream Drop Distance, HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix) have been quietly stalling the hunger of fans for the third game for quite some time.
It’s apparent the Japanese have an affinity for all things Kingdom Hearts as the Square Enix company holds KH, Final Fantasy, Hitman and Tomb Raider as their most coveted franchises. But, most importantly, the team at Square Enix are revving up their engines to bring audiences the best quality of the games they’ve grown to love over the years. With new and improved versions of the games we grew up with, Square Enix is taking the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” to a whole other level.
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In addition to Disney characters and worlds, there are rumors that the team behind KH might take gamers into Marvel and Star Wars territory. With the third installation, the game will also be available for Xbox One, not just Playstation. According to the Square Enix conference this past week, the team is looking into sharing some exciting news about the game in November.
[Playlist of the Week] 5 Retro Video Game Themes for E3
Video games have played a large role in my nearly 30 years of life; so, too, has music. While video game OSTs (Original Soundtracks) don't get the acclaim and recognition they often deserve, the right soundtrack can easily be replayed countless times without the context of a boss battle or stage selection screen.
With this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) taking place this week, I figured it'd be as good a time as any to curate a playlist of five iconic, retro video game themes for this week's installment of Playlist of the Week. I capped my selections to only include video games released before 1993 to get that extra retro, MIDI feel... and to keep the door open for even more in the future.
I hope you enjoy my selections! We'll also be covering the major video game announcements from E3 this week, so if video games tickle your fancy, we'll have you covered!
Disney princesses re-imagined as Final Fantasy characters
While Kingdom Hearts serves as the official collaboration between Square Enix and Disney, there are many wishing there was more of a direct connection between iconic Disney characters and the Final Fantasy series. Sure, characters like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy play central roles in the Kingdom Hearts games, but other characters are relegated to minor roles. The Disney princesses are stereotypically portrayed as damsels in distress whose hearts serve as a major plot point in the series. As dynamic as the very concept of Kingdom Hearts is, it's unfortunate that the princesses would be used so poorly.
deviantART member Geryes has addressed the problem by creating vector illustrations of the Disney princesses in classic Final Fantasy roles. He matches the various princesses perfectly with the proper roles. Take, for example, Beauty and the Beast's Belle as a Beastmaster, Snow White as a White Mage, Aladdin's Jasmine as a Summoner, and more.
If only they could play such roles in the next Kingdom Hearts game...
[Geryes' deviantART, via Destructoid]