Gaming, E3 and the Phenomenon that is Kingdom Hearts

The E3 annual gaming trade fair took place a couple of days ago and some big chunks of news hit the world. Now I don't consider myself a gamer. My preferred console is the Playstation 2 and I've not completed any games in the last 4 or so years unless you count Tetris, and as much as I'm a Tetris fanatic, it doesn't count.

The thing is, in my blissful youth, my gaming experience was scattered.  Gaming was mainly when I went to my cousins house and played Rayman on their Playstation with them. Back then playing with more than one person was either when you were fighting each other on Tekken or sitting by them during a boss battle on whichever game we were into and telling them when to hit, jump, heal and generally shout encouragement. And it was bloody brilliant.

My gaming career began with my Gameboy which I religiously played Pokemon on after saving Birthday and Christmas money as well as every penny I could find. When the Playstation 1 was reaching it's later days my parents had managed to russle one up from somewhere with some educational games for me to play. Which, lets face it, nobody wants to play, you play games to get away from education not to jump back into it. However that all changed during Christmas 2001 when I was bestowed the gift of gifts. For my Birthmas (Birthday+Christmas) I received a Playstation 2 and my own TV to play it on. From there, life was good.

I played on it for hours on end, keeping it on overnight to stay my progress until I could get a memory card. It was great and then, it got better. When bragging (because I was so dang humble) about my gifts to a couple of friends, one of them reminded me of this game I saw a trailer for a long time before. There was a boy and these worlds, they were based on something I knew, and he had a strange but cool weapon, a Key... Blade? It was called Kingdom Hearts. As soon as I could I took the remainder of my Christmas money rushed to the nearest store I could find and bought it. Thus began one of my biggest fandoms.

It was glorious and like nothing I had ever seen before. It took characters I've loved since I was born, from worlds I wanted to venture since I saw them and stories I'd giddily rewatched for years and told me that I could go on an adventure with them in a completely new and different way. My mind was blown. It was completely unprecedented and yet completely necessary at the same time. Disney meets Final Fantasy, I mean, what even? It was juvenile enough to linger onto childhood and yet mature enough to tackle strong themes; growing up, restlessness, home, love, loss, sacrifice, it was all there. I could freely talk about it with my group of friends and not feel totally alienated. Yes, to others it looked like fanatical childish waste fo time, but to me, it was a salvation from that bleak, miserable and angry time in life called teenager-hood.

It introduced me to series like Final Fantasy and later God of War but nothing quite matched Kingdom Hearts. Nothing was quite as lighthearted but serious, quite as epic but soulful, quite as cool but Goofy (see what I did there). It knew what it was and made no apologies for it. Yeah it was silly, and yeah, it was solemn but it was so self assured that you had confidence in it, you loved it because of that. its magnetism and charisma was enough to draw you back in and replay it a million times over. Its characters were charming and, sometimes, poignant and engaging to follow and it was this personality, this soul, this heart that gave it its loyal following.

Since 2006's first full follow up, Kingdom Hearts II, fans have been hankering for a third. In between the 1st and 2nd instalments Chain of Memories was released on the Gameboy, and since KH2, four other games have spawned from here on hand held consoles. Although these have contributed somewhat to the ever growing mythology and the ever complex plot, a third instalment has been begged for and now, these prayers have been answered.

Yes at this years E3 an announcement trailer was released for the new instalment on the Playstation 4 and Xbox One. No news has been released as to when it may be seen and little is known of the story, except it follows a mature Sora, but fans worldwide could be heard unanimously thanking their God's when they found out. Facebook and Twitter were aflutter with joyous reactions. As soon as I found out I literally cheered out loud. My gaming career had sat on a dusty shelf in my memory, resigned to the past, thinking this day would never come, I've had no money and no time to play the interquel's, midquel's and prequel's that have since been made, but now over ten years since I started playing it, I am giddy with excitement again.

To many, it doesn't make sense. Disney and Square? In a role playing game? But for us Kingdom Hearts fans it is a unique and definitive blend of concepts and emotions that has stayed in our hearts. It said to us that you can be hopeful, you can be optimistic and goofy and cartoonish and love what may seem childish but you can also be mature, responsible, heartfelt, protective and selfless. It told you that helping someone wasn't stupid, that loving your friends wasn't lame and that Disney is for everyone. It told you you weren't alone, that you're all right and, no matter what, you can endure. Your heart is strong and your will actions count. To paraphrase Sora, The heart may be weak, and sometimes it may even give in. But deep down, there's a light that never goes out.

Here is the link to the announcement trailer, introduced by Kingdom Hearts director, Tetsuyo Nomura.

To those who've only just been introduced to it, need a refresher or just plain diddly love the series, this Timeline feature of Gametrailers is worth a definite watch. It looks at the series as a whole, the stories, the themes and the guides you through any of its confusing matters.

GameTrailers

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