Basically there's a guy named Final fantasy and he runs around and fights goblins and then eventually he fights God and then he runs around more goes to 7/11 and orders a slurpee and says "I guess the real Final Fantasy was the friends we made along the way." as triumphant orchestral music plays in the background.
I always love that the secret boss that gets added to each KH final mix is usually either the boss of the next game or a character we'll see in the next game.
I love how much time this video spends on the Unknown fight, such an amazing boss and a highlight even in relation to the heights of the series later on. Looking forward to the Chain of Memories review!
I remember when FF7 advent children came out. I went to the video store, and asked if they had final fantasy 7. They woman said "We don't have those kinds of movies."
Love how you analyze the mystery of Unknown without the benefit of the later games filling in the gaps. Your retro reviews are like the ludo-prosody of playing these games for the first time again.
I was wondering why he didn't play on the modern 1.5 and 2.5 collection, but I realised it helps the review as he is looking at the game through the lense of a player from the 2000s.
@@Trisaaru an average non-japanese player from the 2000s would most likely never had played the Final Mix version anyway since it was exclusive to Japan.
@@serjangelo they just said "a player from the 2000s", nothing about being an average player. There's a chance someone back then managing to import Final Mix back then. Not a high chance but a chance nonetheless.
Honestly, the main thing that keeps me coming back to this original game even after playing some of the later entries is the element of mystery. This game has a dark atmosphere that I haven't felt in any other game outside of maybe the original Ratchet and Clank. I don't know, I just feel that it's something that gets lost in the later entries, where you feel more at home fighting toylike enemies, compared to this game, where you truly feel lost fighting abstract forces. (Hope this doesn't sound too much like I'm rambling, I have a hard time accurately describing my feelings on things.)
As far as the review goes, I love how this feels like a review that came out when the game was released around 2002. It helps the review stand out from all the others on RUclips, which tend to keep in mind the lore from later entries.
@breadandcircuses8127 In which game? I should probably clarify that I still really enjoy the other games, but there's a feeling to the original that makes me enjoy it in a different way to the others.
The tragedy of Final Mix for me is how long it took to get a localization. I'd have been all over it in the PS2 days. But by the time it finally made it here I just didn't care anymore. I didn't even play it until a few years ago and I don't think I even fought the new secret boss
One thing I love about KH is the huge variety of moves and the mount of stuff you can do in real time combat. It almost feels like playing a battle Shonen.
@@Tsukiru There is no feeling in KH3. Completely ruined air and ground combat. Attacks to dont feel good at all. Finishers suck and is an annoying cutscene most of the time.
That statement is accurate prior to the postgame updates that KH3 got that fix the way Sora plays (by basically turning him back into 2FM Sora) and the DLC superbosses.@@milesbbop9563
This might be one of if not the best KH reviews I've seen. It's not a 4 hour video essay and it doesn't have to be, they're all valid of course and I enjoy them but sometimes less can be more and the way you so effortlessly convey so much understanding of the gameplay systems, the story elements, developmental backgrounds, etc. while also putting your own opinions on them in there is just amazing. Seriously, these 20 minutes felt like 5 and I'm very excited to see the rest of the series covered on here! Edit: okay I didn't realize this was a sort of addendum to your previous KH video, oh well, time to watch that one now
Still one of my favorite games. For a children’s game I do like how it doesn’t really have a happy ending. Sora still isn’t reunited with Riku or kairi and Donald and goofy still don’t know where the king is. There was a lot more mystery to how things like darkness and the keyblade worked.
@@thatonerampartmain8843 KH3 is a man-childs game based in candyland. KH1 was just wholesome. KH2 had great style and substance. Full of life, characters, cutscenes and newly bad music and new enemy designs. A perfect ending to KH if it ended at 2.
@@milesbbop9563You are woefully underselling the complexities of KH3’s plot just to put the other two games on a pedestal. I agree with the other two takes but why are you just flat out lying about the story? Sora literally watched all his friends die and collapsed to the ground screaming in pain, and the only way to retrieve them was to break the laws of nature which effectively ended his own _existence_ in that timeline. There’s no need to be facetious just because you personally didn’t like the game.
@@UniqueHandles Holy bologna, I think YOU'RE the one trying to oversell 3 there, guy. There's a reason why desire for another entry in this franchise among its incredibly diehard fanbase is barely nonexistent. People far more eloquent than your or I have gone into excessive detail why 3 is a poor sequel in every way but base gameplay. The story is one of the most universally lambasted takeaways from 3... by franchise fans, no less. Almost every single "serious" development in that game either comes out of nowhere, feels forced, or is just plain out of place. The entire final stretch of the game is something that should have constituted an entire game itself due to almost everything happening being incredibly rushed to the point they feel like asspulls (basically everything you were talking about). Let's not forget certain key points and character moments making zero sense if you didn't play a certain game in the series that... most people go on record as not even knowing exist. Is 3 a fun action JRPG? Sure. Is it plot notoriously despised due to years of rewrites, being rushed, forced developments, elements that shouldn't have been, and (imo) Nomura probably having forgot what he wanted to do with the series due to how long it took to finally get to developing 3? Of course. Critically so.
How you described this game was strange but oddly welcome, most gamers in their mid to late 20s are going to have many memories of these games, knowing the significance of the number 13, who Unknown and the guy wielding two keyblades are. With games more than 2 decades old, it's easy to forget that there are those much younger entering into this hobby discovering these games for the first time from hand-me-down PS2, emulation or picked up the games via the Epic Games Store. It really is a joy to watch new and younger gamers discover and talk about these games I played as a kid. If all this made some of you feel *old,* imagine how I feel having written it, as I'm about to turn 30 in a few months.
Your dedication to showcase these games on their original hardware (context) even if it comes to dealing with non-english release is very admirable gotta say, very nice.
Definitely explains why he's the best retro gaming channel on this site. He doesn't like to cop out like many other youtubers who just emulate the games they play.
You know, I never realized it before (having only ever experienced Final Mix after first playing KH1 and KH2), but you pointing out the similarities between Unknown and the "dual-wielding keyblader" in the teaser movie made me realize that back in the day it really wasn't all that clear who (or what) Unknown really was. I find that a rather interesting perspective - thanks for that!
The comment on Sora’s fighting style gives me a new appreciation for KH3D. Because he was made to forget his past experience, Its like if KH1 Sora went through the game with more training. The power he has at the end of this game is leagues beyond kh1. He literally encases Monstro in water and rides him.
I absolutely LOVE that you did this TGB! I didn't expect you to cover Final Mix in a separate video, but I'm very glad you did - and kudos for going the whole nine yards with the Japanese PS2 version =D Hearing you talk about the Unknown boss fight and the new Ansem Reports really takes me back to the pre-KH2 days of speculation and mystery. The story felt well-considered and cleverly planned out back then. The Unknown fight (and accompanying elements) really added to KH1's unique, evocative tone as well - which I think you did a wonderful job expressing.
I like how in KH 1 some enemies are just beyond Soras current abilities, I might be reading too much into it but the heartless being immune to your wooden sword on the island before your adventure starts becoming damageable in Hollow Bastion makes me think differently. Jafar genie is beyond Soras level, Ansem at full power (his battle line before briefly becoming invincible is "my strength returns") Just a cool detail I really like.
I have always loved the way Kingdom Hearts teases the next entry through secret bosses and secret endings and how mysteriously its presented. I think its genuis how the series manages to create so much intrigue for whats to come by being as cryptic as possible.
@@devonnicklaus3344 Yeah? Yozura is KH3's Unknown/LingeringWill/Mysterious Figure, even though we can see what he looks like the stuff he says is as cryptic and mysterious as possible
@@biggreen1456 I think he's just talking about the negativity around KH3 "ruining" the franchise in general. You're right about ol' Yoz there, but he's probably talking more about how 3 broke so much of what made the franchise a beloved juggernaut- primarily with how the story almost universally gets panned amongst its most diehard franchise fanatics for somehow messing up an already crazy story in almost every regard.
I really wish final mix let you toggle the original colour scheme, because the redone colours are basically always worse. Trickmaster makes me want to shove forks in my eyes.
3 screenshots of this game and the kh2 final mix in the back of a gaming magazine were all I had to go on for years. I remember pining to play them and see the new secret endings. I think I ended up downloading them from a fansite a while after they'd been out, such a throwback.
I actually just started up my first playthrough of KH Final Mix the other day on my PS5. Just got to Halloween Town. Last time I played this game was like 15 years ago. I didn't realize all of those AP abilities were added in the final mix exclusively.
@breadandcircuses8127 no actually I thought it aged pretty well. I recently played through KH 1 and 2 final mix, and while 2 has a much better combat system, the exploration in KH1 is unmatched.
Always been interesting how Shimomura manages to weave certain motifs in various tracks to hint at who certain characters might have ties to. Disappeared being a good example here.
I remember Years ago watching a video of Nomura mentioning how all the texts you saw in the deep dive video were just random sentences and words they put together. So when making KH2 it became difficult for them to find ways to incorperate those words into the actual sequel. Which is why some sentences never made any sense such as when Xemnas said to Ansem the wise "you are the source of all heartless". They just squeezed that in there because it was in the KH1 deep dive crap.
Tbf the line still kinda makes sense. Outside of the mobile games[which while having its excuse basically had the Heartless more out of obligation], the Heartless weren't much of an...issue, and only one very adept in darkness could summon them to the Realm of Light. It was only after Xehanort lost his memory and got taken in by Ansem the Wise that they became an issue. Due to AtW's studies into the heart and its darkness, Xehanort went further and further with the research until a full scale outbreak occured and worlds began dropping like flies. AtW is the "source of all Heartless", in the sense that his research is the catalyst that led to Xehanort opening the door to the heart of Radiant Garden, to the creation of the massive lab that ended up housing the machine that creates Artificial Heartless and the capture of the many unwilling test subjects Xehanort nabbed for his own "research", and the eventual collapse of many worlds.
@@cillbipher2613And to top it all off, while Xemnas saying that to Ansem the Wise isn't TECHNICALLY true... does it HAVE to be? That the story-team basically just BS'd up a bunch of cryptic shit and then turned them into lines that come from a dude who EXCELS in gaslighting people with a bunch of cryptic BS you're never quite sure if he has convinced himself is true or if he's JUST straight-up lying because it suits his purposes... I mean, it feels kinda fitting, no? I get why it's a move that make people mad though, because we feel lied and betrayed to, we invested so much of our time speculating on these lines and then it turns out none of us got it right because it was never actually valid info. We feel like we threw our time away. And if you go into it with a cynically dismissive "they just made it up because it sounds mysterious" attitude to EVERY bit of mysterious foreshadowing you become THE biggest joy-draining buzzkill in the room, EVEN if you're right. But I think that turning made up stuff into the lies of a bullshitter still holds merit- we may feel drained and more cynical than interested at the end of it, but maybe that too works as a way to test us. We're not Sora with his endless founts of hope and energy, but can we overcome the letdown and see what the twists do for the story that's actually being told, rather than the one we WANTED to be told? That too is an interesting challenge, in my eyes.
I went back and played kh2 on ps2, fighting sephiroth is so much more difficult, even without limit form. Final mix abilities really do make the game a lot easier.
I left a comment on the original wondering about how you were gonna touch on Final Mix since it addressed some of what you brought up. Guess this answers that, lmao. As an equivalent for this video, I wonder how much "Sora's fighting style can best be described as determined child hitting things with stick" was considered for 2/Days later on. Probably happened the first time around but these reviews make me realize I need to play Final Fantasy proper to get a proper appreciation for the "ludo-prosody" or recontextualizing you bring up. Also "Command Deck" is technically a different approach to the same Command Menu. Recently started thinking about how the Secret Movie for 1 is such a different tone compared to the rest of the game and the thought of Square Soft just stumbling upon "duels are fucking cool" might've been the answer I needed. And they're right, they're fucking cool. Enjoying such a sincere look with the games. What do you meaaaaan they renumbered the reports.
That opening story reminds me of how Markiplier had a friend who didn't play fnaf on a stream where he was making theorys and his buddy just casually makes a really good theory
I dont like the new cutscenes with Riku, it removes the mystery. In the orginal you never knew if Riku was still alive, seeing him again was a massive surprise. All that is taken away in Final Mix
@@videogamesworld01 Roxas, Xigbar and a couple Disney world bosses were the only really hard fights on proud. Roxas is just the toughest story fight in the game, so I expected that. Overall it was pretty challenging until after Xigbar.
@@Trisaaru I would say xigbar is not really hard though No idea what to say since I have gotten so used to him. Roxas is always a difficult fight until you learn it but it's so much fun.
@@videogamesworld01 Xigbar when he's at his last 2 bars is very insane. It took me 9 minutes to beat him, a whole 7 minutes of that was spent during the last 2 bars because he kept spamming his DM over and over. Roxas is probably my favourite fight in the game.
When I first heard the words "Final Fantasy" as a kid, and knowing absolutely nothing about the franchise, I immediately took the "final" part to mean "ultimate" or "definitive". The implication seemed to be that this was the bottom line in fantasy video games, the very best you could get. It's such a perfect, intoxicating title; it has so many different possible meanings, it's super punchy, it sounds grandiose as fuck, and it instantly grabs your attention and evokes your curiosity. Just hearing that there was a game called "Final Fantasy" made me want to check it out.
Man, we've been so spoiled by the Final Mix versions of the KH series, that the Originals are all but forgotten which is a damn shame. The OGs still hold up, and are amazing!
as someone who started KH with Final Mix, I can say that new cutscenes didn't really affect my experience all that much I certainly realised that they had been added in this version specifically but they still felt cool and even ominous
Amazing review! This timing could not have been more perfect for me - I played the original KH at release in 2002, and I just finished up KH Final Mix yesterday for the first time.
Been watching your videos since the Other M/OG Overblood 2 days, and granted what I'm about to say has been the case for a while, but you've progressed so much since then and it's fab to see.
Breaking my brain watching this footage as I am SO used to 1.5 HD Remix but I love the dedication to have all the footage be original hardware. I learned from this video that the only superboss in the original release of KH1 in Japan was Phantom and that is super weird since he's such a gimmick fight. I hope you do a follow up like this on the rest of the series
16:10 when the remaster of kh1 final mix came out on the ps3, i actually grinded for 19 hours straight for the ultima weapon materials. never ended up getting it tho😢
If I recall correctly, when Square made the first Final Fantasy they were failing financially. They called the game Final Fantasy because, if the game flopped, they would go out of business and that would be their final fantasy game.
That's part of what he was referring to by "urban legends". The reason is that they wanted something that could be abbreviated to "FF" for simplicity and "Fighting Fantasy" was taken.
I always thought they named it Final Fantasy because Square was about to go bankrupt and, if it didn’t sell well, it would have been their last game. Their FINAL Fantasy, if you will.
When talking about difficulty in Kingdom Hearts games, it's worth mentioning that you can play the whole game at level 1. If you find the hardest difficulty too easy level 1 is always an option.
Oooh, the whole section where you discussed how cool it would be if Kingdom Hearts had a playstyle that involved more buttons allowing you to bust out these moves at will, but then realized they were committed to a one-button set-up because they were trying to create an experience that was like the one-button style of Final Fantasy expanded my mind, because I had the exact same thoughts minus the realization of WHY they did it that way. I was a MASSIVE DMC-head at the time after I fell in love with the first game so I felt frustrated by action-games that didn't feel as good to control, but it definitely checks out that they probably had completely different priorities to what I wanted back then. So thanks for informing child-me from that time, I guess. I hadn't thought about it in years, and now I feel liemke I'll be far wiser whenever I do think back on those days.
@breadandcircuses8127 it was the same for me when kh came out I was 2 I got it when I was 5 and when you get to the island I didn't know who the hell these characters were until 13 years later and then when xv dropped a demo and I've been a fan ever since
No wonder Sora is the GOAT, because each time he learns abilities and skills. There’s always the feeling the Sora is not a master of anything yet, each new obstacle is always something that tests him. Kingdom Hearts as a series has that rookie hero feeling to the core which is of course escalated by the power of teh friendship.
Loved how you explained all of this and told me things that I didn't know about! I played this game about two years ago and wasn't a big fan of the gameplay. I stopped after defeating the final boss and had no clue about the hidden boss Unknown. I love how they had foreshadowing to Unknowns before the next games are released. That was really surprising to for me to hear about. I though kh was fun but Sora felt really clunky to play. I guess this game did come out in 2002 though lol. I loved KH2 because it really feels like they perfected the one button press for multiple moves gameplay and it was the first game I played in the kingdom hearts series. Loved the video
I just never understood why Square didn't releases these updated versions of KH 1/2 and FF X/XII in the west given how both franchises while successful and well regarded here?
5:42 I think they added the chance element to make it so there was a reason for the player to equip all of them at the same time, if all of them where like ripple drive (100% chance) then you would have to pick and choose which one to use with the way the game currently works, on an ideal world it would just all be 100% chance and you'd be able to hold a direction on the stick or something to select which one to use
One thing I love about KH is the huge variety of moves and the mount of stuff you can do in real time combat. It almost feels like playing a battle Shonen.
I love how any other reviewer would've just reviewed KHII after KH, but not Charlie. Does a whole review for Final Mix and makes me realize stuff I never noticed from a game I've been playing for nearly my entire life
As a middleschooler, Another Side Another Story was the pinnacle of everything epic and cool to me. I would beat the end over and over just to watch the secret ending and wonder what it meant.
@@TheGamingBritShow I meant during actual combat throughout the game - I saw a JP command menu, but Sora and party’s voices were in English. I must be missing something
@@victoryoroblivion9713 Square Enix tended to favor English dubs for re-releases so that the Japanese audience could get a chance to see what the characters sounded like in English, especially because many Japanese players wanted to hear the Disney characters in their original voices. Basically it's there for the novelty of hearing a new dub.
@@victoryoroblivion9713 One of the selling point for the FM versions was to have English voice acting instead of Japanese which can also be seen in 2FM and I'm pretty sure BBS FM. In fact, the JP version of KH3 Remind also has optional English voice acting as a feature.
I genuinely think that the first KH has the best pure action RPG combat of any game that isn't a FPS. It's not incredibly deep; it's no DMC 5. But it requires an equal parts skill (placement, reaction time, resource management) and jRPG stat stuff. That makes it a pure action jRPG.
“I was explaining the final fantasy series to my non-gamer significant other…” oh this oughta be good
Wait, us gamers can have relationships?
Basically there's a guy named Final fantasy and he runs around and fights goblins and then eventually he fights God and then he runs around more goes to 7/11 and orders a slurpee and says "I guess the real Final Fantasy was the friends we made along the way." as triumphant orchestral music plays in the background.
"[...] and then *she* asked me [...]"
Absolutely unacceptable.
@@SaberRexZealotmost gamers are in relationships mah dude
I have never been more jealous of anyone 😅
I always love that the secret boss that gets added to each KH final mix is usually either the boss of the next game or a character we'll see in the next game.
I think BBS might be an exception since it's "Unknown" was added in the International version, but that's really splitting hairs.
What is KG?
@@Lordidude Kingdom Gearts
@@beng6149 thanks. Now it makes sense.
It's crazy to me that this is the only series that does it, the Mickey Mouse game. It's so cool to tease future games like this.
I love how much time this video spends on the Unknown fight, such an amazing boss and a highlight even in relation to the heights of the series later on. Looking forward to the Chain of Memories review!
I remember when FF7 advent children came out. I went to the video store, and asked if they had final fantasy 7. They woman said "We don't have those kinds of movies."
Love how you analyze the mystery of Unknown without the benefit of the later games filling in the gaps. Your retro reviews are like the ludo-prosody of playing these games for the first time again.
tgb’s commitment to retaining the original feel of these games by going as far as changing the aspect ratio for his uploads is really respectable
I was wondering why he didn't play on the modern 1.5 and 2.5 collection, but I realised it helps the review as he is looking at the game through the lense of a player from the 2000s.
@@Trisaaru an average non-japanese player from the 2000s would most likely never had played the Final Mix version anyway since it was exclusive to Japan.
Go all in an upload them in 480p or lower
@@serjangelo they just said "a player from the 2000s", nothing about being an average player.
There's a chance someone back then managing to import Final Mix back then. Not a high chance but a chance nonetheless.
Pretty sure he just capture cards original ps2 footage
Honestly, the main thing that keeps me coming back to this original game even after playing some of the later entries is the element of mystery. This game has a dark atmosphere that I haven't felt in any other game outside of maybe the original Ratchet and Clank. I don't know, I just feel that it's something that gets lost in the later entries, where you feel more at home fighting toylike enemies, compared to this game, where you truly feel lost fighting abstract forces.
(Hope this doesn't sound too much like I'm rambling, I have a hard time accurately describing my feelings on things.)
As far as the review goes, I love how this feels like a review that came out when the game was released around 2002. It helps the review stand out from all the others on RUclips, which tend to keep in mind the lore from later entries.
@breadandcircuses8127 In which game? I should probably clarify that I still really enjoy the other games, but there's a feeling to the original that makes me enjoy it in a different way to the others.
The tragedy of Final Mix for me is how long it took to get a localization. I'd have been all over it in the PS2 days. But by the time it finally made it here I just didn't care anymore. I didn't even play it until a few years ago and I don't think I even fought the new secret boss
We got more out of the original game than JP did. they didnt have sephiroth or any other secret boss.
One thing I love about KH is the huge variety of moves and the mount of stuff you can do in real time combat. It almost feels like playing a battle Shonen.
And later on they start putting more into making sure your options are accessible, enhancing that feeling more.
@@Tsukiru There is no feeling in KH3. Completely ruined air and ground combat. Attacks to dont feel good at all. Finishers suck and is an annoying cutscene most of the time.
That statement is accurate prior to the postgame updates that KH3 got that fix the way Sora plays (by basically turning him back into 2FM Sora) and the DLC superbosses.@@milesbbop9563
This might be one of if not the best KH reviews I've seen. It's not a 4 hour video essay and it doesn't have to be, they're all valid of course and I enjoy them but sometimes less can be more and the way you so effortlessly convey so much understanding of the gameplay systems, the story elements, developmental backgrounds, etc. while also putting your own opinions on them in there is just amazing. Seriously, these 20 minutes felt like 5 and I'm very excited to see the rest of the series covered on here!
Edit: okay I didn't realize this was a sort of addendum to your previous KH video, oh well, time to watch that one now
Still one of my favorite games. For a children’s game I do like how it doesn’t really have a happy ending. Sora still isn’t reunited with Riku or kairi and Donald and goofy still don’t know where the king is. There was a lot more mystery to how things like darkness and the keyblade worked.
No offense but even with all KH1's charm I wouldn't call it a children's game
@@thatonerampartmain8843 KH3 is a man-childs game based in candyland. KH1 was just wholesome. KH2 had great style and substance. Full of life, characters, cutscenes and newly bad music and new enemy designs. A perfect ending to KH if it ended at 2.
@@milesbbop9563You are woefully underselling the complexities of KH3’s plot just to put the other two games on a pedestal. I agree with the other two takes but why are you just flat out lying about the story? Sora literally watched all his friends die and collapsed to the ground screaming in pain, and the only way to retrieve them was to break the laws of nature which effectively ended his own _existence_ in that timeline. There’s no need to be facetious just because you personally didn’t like the game.
@@UniqueHandles late, but this is so real
@@UniqueHandles Holy bologna, I think YOU'RE the one trying to oversell 3 there, guy. There's a reason why desire for another entry in this franchise among its incredibly diehard fanbase is barely nonexistent. People far more eloquent than your or I have gone into excessive detail why 3 is a poor sequel in every way but base gameplay. The story is one of the most universally lambasted takeaways from 3... by franchise fans, no less. Almost every single "serious" development in that game either comes out of nowhere, feels forced, or is just plain out of place. The entire final stretch of the game is something that should have constituted an entire game itself due to almost everything happening being incredibly rushed to the point they feel like asspulls (basically everything you were talking about). Let's not forget certain key points and character moments making zero sense if you didn't play a certain game in the series that... most people go on record as not even knowing exist.
Is 3 a fun action JRPG? Sure. Is it plot notoriously despised due to years of rewrites, being rushed, forced developments, elements that shouldn't have been, and (imo) Nomura probably having forgot what he wanted to do with the series due to how long it took to finally get to developing 3? Of course. Critically so.
How you described this game was strange but oddly welcome, most gamers in their mid to late 20s are going to have many memories of these games, knowing the significance of the number 13, who Unknown and the guy wielding two keyblades are. With games more than 2 decades old, it's easy to forget that there are those much younger entering into this hobby discovering these games for the first time from hand-me-down PS2, emulation or picked up the games via the Epic Games Store.
It really is a joy to watch new and younger gamers discover and talk about these games I played as a kid.
If all this made some of you feel *old,* imagine how I feel having written it, as I'm about to turn 30 in a few months.
Your dedication to showcase these games on their original hardware (context) even if it comes to dealing with non-english release is very admirable gotta say, very nice.
Definitely explains why he's the best retro gaming channel on this site. He doesn't like to cop out like many other youtubers who just emulate the games they play.
True dedicated gamer😎
You know, I never realized it before (having only ever experienced Final Mix after first playing KH1 and KH2), but you pointing out the similarities between Unknown and the "dual-wielding keyblader" in the teaser movie made me realize that back in the day it really wasn't all that clear who (or what) Unknown really was. I find that a rather interesting perspective - thanks for that!
The comment on Sora’s fighting style gives me a new appreciation for KH3D. Because he was made to forget his past experience, Its like if KH1 Sora went through the game with more training. The power he has at the end of this game is leagues beyond kh1. He literally encases Monstro in water and rides him.
I absolutely LOVE that you did this TGB! I didn't expect you to cover Final Mix in a separate video, but I'm very glad you did - and kudos for going the whole nine yards with the Japanese PS2 version =D
Hearing you talk about the Unknown boss fight and the new Ansem Reports really takes me back to the pre-KH2 days of speculation and mystery. The story felt well-considered and cleverly planned out back then. The Unknown fight (and accompanying elements) really added to KH1's unique, evocative tone as well - which I think you did a wonderful job expressing.
I like how in KH 1 some enemies are just beyond Soras current abilities, I might be reading too much into it but the heartless being immune to your wooden sword on the island before your adventure starts becoming damageable in Hollow Bastion makes me think differently.
Jafar genie is beyond Soras level, Ansem at full power (his battle line before briefly becoming invincible is "my strength returns")
Just a cool detail I really like.
The beginning bit absolutely KILLED ME, I almost never actually laugh out loud when watching a video, but that did me in
I love your videos, hoping people keep watching so you keep making them
I have always loved the way Kingdom Hearts teases the next entry through secret bosses and secret endings and how mysteriously its presented. I think its genuis how the series manages to create so much intrigue for whats to come by being as cryptic as possible.
and thennnn kh3 comes out
@@devonnicklaus3344 Yeah? Yozura is KH3's Unknown/LingeringWill/Mysterious Figure, even though we can see what he looks like the stuff he says is as cryptic and mysterious as possible
@@biggreen1456 I think he's just talking about the negativity around KH3 "ruining" the franchise in general. You're right about ol' Yoz there, but he's probably talking more about how 3 broke so much of what made the franchise a beloved juggernaut- primarily with how the story almost universally gets panned amongst its most diehard franchise fanatics for somehow messing up an already crazy story in almost every regard.
Its also possible that the distance thing could be a nod to the row system of early FF.
I really wish final mix let you toggle the original colour scheme, because the redone colours are basically always worse. Trickmaster makes me want to shove forks in my eyes.
3 screenshots of this game and the kh2 final mix in the back of a gaming magazine were all I had to go on for years. I remember pining to play them and see the new secret endings. I think I ended up downloading them from a fansite a while after they'd been out, such a throwback.
Huh, I guess each final fantasy is about fighting off a world-ending threat. Your partner is a smart cookie.
I actually just started up my first playthrough of KH Final Mix the other day on my PS5. Just got to Halloween Town. Last time I played this game was like 15 years ago. I didn't realize all of those AP abilities were added in the final mix exclusively.
@breadandcircuses8127 no actually I thought it aged pretty well. I recently played through KH 1 and 2 final mix, and while 2 has a much better combat system, the exploration in KH1 is unmatched.
Always been interesting how Shimomura manages to weave certain motifs in various tracks to hint at who certain characters might have ties to. Disappeared being a good example here.
I remember Years ago watching a video of Nomura mentioning how all the texts you saw in the deep dive video were just random sentences and words they put together. So when making KH2 it became difficult for them to find ways to incorperate those words into the actual sequel.
Which is why some sentences never made any sense such as when Xemnas said to Ansem the wise "you are the source of all heartless".
They just squeezed that in there because it was in the KH1 deep dive crap.
Tbf the line still kinda makes sense. Outside of the mobile games[which while having its excuse basically had the Heartless more out of obligation], the Heartless weren't much of an...issue, and only one very adept in darkness could summon them to the Realm of Light. It was only after Xehanort lost his memory and got taken in by Ansem the Wise that they became an issue. Due to AtW's studies into the heart and its darkness, Xehanort went further and further with the research until a full scale outbreak occured and worlds began dropping like flies.
AtW is the "source of all Heartless", in the sense that his research is the catalyst that led to Xehanort opening the door to the heart of Radiant Garden, to the creation of the massive lab that ended up housing the machine that creates Artificial Heartless and the capture of the many unwilling test subjects Xehanort nabbed for his own "research", and the eventual collapse of many worlds.
@@cillbipher2613And to top it all off, while Xemnas saying that to Ansem the Wise isn't TECHNICALLY true... does it HAVE to be? That the story-team basically just BS'd up a bunch of cryptic shit and then turned them into lines that come from a dude who EXCELS in gaslighting people with a bunch of cryptic BS you're never quite sure if he has convinced himself is true or if he's JUST straight-up lying because it suits his purposes... I mean, it feels kinda fitting, no?
I get why it's a move that make people mad though, because we feel lied and betrayed to, we invested so much of our time speculating on these lines and then it turns out none of us got it right because it was never actually valid info. We feel like we threw our time away. And if you go into it with a cynically dismissive "they just made it up because it sounds mysterious" attitude to EVERY bit of mysterious foreshadowing you become THE biggest joy-draining buzzkill in the room, EVEN if you're right. But I think that turning made up stuff into the lies of a bullshitter still holds merit- we may feel drained and more cynical than interested at the end of it, but maybe that too works as a way to test us. We're not Sora with his endless founts of hope and energy, but can we overcome the letdown and see what the twists do for the story that's actually being told, rather than the one we WANTED to be told? That too is an interesting challenge, in my eyes.
I always interpreted that as Xemnas trying to enrage Ansem
Always love how your reviews on older games are in 4:3 ratio and crispy like back in the old days
I went back and played kh2 on ps2, fighting sephiroth is so much more difficult, even without limit form. Final mix abilities really do make the game a lot easier.
I left a comment on the original wondering about how you were gonna touch on Final Mix since it addressed some of what you brought up. Guess this answers that, lmao. As an equivalent for this video, I wonder how much "Sora's fighting style can best be described as determined child hitting things with stick" was considered for 2/Days later on.
Probably happened the first time around but these reviews make me realize I need to play Final Fantasy proper to get a proper appreciation for the "ludo-prosody" or recontextualizing you bring up. Also "Command Deck" is technically a different approach to the same Command Menu.
Recently started thinking about how the Secret Movie for 1 is such a different tone compared to the rest of the game and the thought of Square Soft just stumbling upon "duels are fucking cool" might've been the answer I needed. And they're right, they're fucking cool.
Enjoying such a sincere look with the games. What do you meaaaaan they renumbered the reports.
Finally someone who appreciates Disappeared. Truly underrated track of the series.
I’ve been seriously enjoying your content on KH, hoping for more videos on the rest of the series down the line!!
This is hands down the best channel on RUclips. I really appreciate your videos. 💪🏾
my mans out here inventing words for his game analysis, i love it
That opening story reminds me of how Markiplier had a friend who didn't play fnaf on a stream where he was making theorys and his buddy just casually makes a really good theory
I really wish they would have kept the perfect balance of Disney and square Enix without both there it loses its luster most notably in KH3
I dont like the new cutscenes with Riku, it removes the mystery. In the orginal you never knew if Riku was still alive, seeing him again was a massive surprise.
All that is taken away in Final Mix
It definitely works better if you've already played it so that it can fill in the gaps for after the initial mystery
I actually just beat KH2 on proud mode today and have been on a bit of a Kingdom Hearts kick. Very nice time to upload.
Somehow proud on final mix ends up being more annoying than critical and I have no idea how they accomplished it
@@videogamesworld01 Roxas, Xigbar and a couple Disney world bosses were the only really hard fights on proud. Roxas is just the toughest story fight in the game, so I expected that. Overall it was pretty challenging until after Xigbar.
@@Trisaaru I would say xigbar is not really hard though No idea what to say since I have gotten so used to him. Roxas is always a difficult fight until you learn it but it's so much fun.
@@videogamesworld01 Xigbar when he's at his last 2 bars is very insane. It took me 9 minutes to beat him, a whole 7 minutes of that was spent during the last 2 bars because he kept spamming his DM over and over. Roxas is probably my favourite fight in the game.
@@Trisaaru man, fuck Xigbar on proud, this guy drove me nuts when I was trying to beat him
also Roxas bossfight is a hard but fair challenge indeed
May this review be your guiding key into this charming franchise.
Xemnas: "Leaf Bracer this you Filthy Casual *grabs Sora's Heart* "
Sora: "Oh shi-"
When I first heard the words "Final Fantasy" as a kid, and knowing absolutely nothing about the franchise, I immediately took the "final" part to mean "ultimate" or "definitive". The implication seemed to be that this was the bottom line in fantasy video games, the very best you could get. It's such a perfect, intoxicating title; it has so many different possible meanings, it's super punchy, it sounds grandiose as fuck, and it instantly grabs your attention and evokes your curiosity. Just hearing that there was a game called "Final Fantasy" made me want to check it out.
Man, we've been so spoiled by the Final Mix versions of the KH series, that the Originals are all but forgotten which is a damn shame. The OGs still hold up, and are amazing!
as someone who started KH with Final Mix, I can say that new cutscenes didn't really affect my experience all that much
I certainly realised that they had been added in this version specifically but they still felt cool and even ominous
It was better without them, adding then in really took all the mystery and intrigue out
@@Schizobateman they did feel pretty mysterious to me tho
@@MrValBar2 The lack of voice acting in them makes them feel strange and dreamlike. Its a trade off and doesnt ruin anything imo.
Oh damn I wasn't expecting you to cover Final Mix, but a welcome surprise! Awesome video
You've put words to things I love about this game quite eloquently. Class act review.
Good stuff Charlie, as always. Is there a reason you didn't do the HD 1.5 remix? And do you intend to do KH2FM?
Oooh I was wondering if you would cover the Final Mix content! Glad you're looking at this!
Very cool you played the PS2 Final Mix.
Curious how you captured the footage.
Weren't the puzzle pieces you collect also new to Remix?
Amazing review! This timing could not have been more perfect for me - I played the original KH at release in 2002, and I just finished up KH Final Mix yesterday for the first time.
Been watching your videos since the Other M/OG Overblood 2 days, and granted what I'm about to say has been the case for a while, but you've progressed so much since then and it's fab to see.
Breaking my brain watching this footage as I am SO used to 1.5 HD Remix but I love the dedication to have all the footage be original hardware. I learned from this video that the only superboss in the original release of KH1 in Japan was Phantom and that is super weird since he's such a gimmick fight. I hope you do a follow up like this on the rest of the series
You know he's transcending when he starts to come up with his own terms that include the word Ludo in it.
16:10 when the remaster of kh1 final mix came out on the ps3, i actually grinded for 19 hours straight for the ultima weapon materials. never ended up getting it tho😢
If I recall correctly, when Square made the first Final Fantasy they were failing financially. They called the game Final Fantasy because, if the game flopped, they would go out of business and that would be their final fantasy game.
That's part of what he was referring to by "urban legends". The reason is that they wanted something that could be abbreviated to "FF" for simplicity and "Fighting Fantasy" was taken.
What a nice treat to get on Halloween, GJ TGBS.
I always thought they named it Final Fantasy because Square was about to go bankrupt and, if it didn’t sell well, it would have been their last game. Their FINAL Fantasy, if you will.
0:29 this makes FF 16’s name drop line even better
My eyes absolutely lit up when I saw this in my sub box 😍
You're finally reviewing the GOAT
I know you won't disappoint.
When talking about difficulty in Kingdom Hearts games, it's worth mentioning that you can play the whole game at level 1. If you find the hardest difficulty too easy level 1 is always an option.
Some may not know this, but the level 1 ability for KH1 wasn't added until the ps3 version of final mix, it isn't in the PS2 version.
Oh yeah, definitely here for these kind of reviews of the KH games :D
What's the special movie on the final mix main menu? 00:46
FF X-2 Trailer lol
When you walk away, you don't hear me say PPPPLLLEASSSEEEOOOHHH BBBABBYY
..don't go..
In the opening story, I was really expecting the line "Babe, you just blew my mind."
I have no doubt that was in the script at some point but got cut.
Oooh, the whole section where you discussed how cool it would be if Kingdom Hearts had a playstyle that involved more buttons allowing you to bust out these moves at will, but then realized they were committed to a one-button set-up because they were trying to create an experience that was like the one-button style of Final Fantasy expanded my mind, because I had the exact same thoughts minus the realization of WHY they did it that way. I was a MASSIVE DMC-head at the time after I fell in love with the first game so I felt frustrated by action-games that didn't feel as good to control, but it definitely checks out that they probably had completely different priorities to what I wanted back then.
So thanks for informing child-me from that time, I guess. I hadn't thought about it in years, and now I feel liemke I'll be far wiser whenever I do think back on those days.
0:23 Will Smith: "That's deep."
I’m so excited for this dude’s KH2 review
“Like is any of this for real? Or not?”
Kingdom Hearts was how I got introduced to Final Fantasy
@breadandcircuses8127 it was the same for me when kh came out I was 2 I got it when I was 5 and when you get to the island I didn't know who the hell these characters were until 13 years later and then when xv dropped a demo and I've been a fan ever since
No wonder Sora is the GOAT, because each time he learns abilities and skills. There’s always the feeling the Sora is not a master of anything yet, each new obstacle is always something that tests him. Kingdom Hearts as a series has that rookie hero feeling to the core which is of course escalated by the power of teh friendship.
Loved how you explained all of this and told me things that I didn't know about! I played this game about two years ago and wasn't a big fan of the gameplay. I stopped after defeating the final boss and had no clue about the hidden boss Unknown. I love how they had foreshadowing to Unknowns before the next games are released. That was really surprising to for me to hear about. I though kh was fun but Sora felt really clunky to play. I guess this game did come out in 2002 though lol.
I loved KH2 because it really feels like they perfected the one button press for multiple moves gameplay and it was the first game I played in the kingdom hearts series. Loved the video
Kh2 is boring af, the combat is terrible and all the levels are soulless hallways
thumbnails giving off a "this will be kingdom hearts in 2039" kinda vibe.
Got my fingers crossed for a Chain of Memories video
They're dual wielding because the next game is KH2. In KH3, you can switch between 3 keyblades during active combat!
I was so sure you already did a video about Kingdom Hearts. I dont mind being wrong, cheers.
Irishgamer here hahaha great stuff love this typa content reminds me the old days
no school like old school
I just never understood why Square didn't releases these updated versions of KH 1/2 and FF X/XII in the west given how both franchises while successful and well regarded here?
Gaming brit show just released a new video on Kingdom Hearts! Let's go!
That's a hell of an opener.
5:42 I think they added the chance element to make it so there was a reason for the player to equip all of them at the same time, if all of them where like ripple drive (100% chance) then you would have to pick and choose which one to use with the way the game currently works, on an ideal world it would just all be 100% chance and you'd be able to hold a direction on the stick or something to select which one to use
One thing I love about KH is the huge variety of moves and the mount of stuff you can do in real time combat. It almost feels like playing a battle Shonen.
I love how any other reviewer would've just reviewed KHII after KH, but not Charlie. Does a whole review for Final Mix and makes me realize stuff I never noticed from a game I've been playing for nearly my entire life
"Ansem Report 0" is such a buckwild thing to do once and never again.
“Whenever the next follow up arrives.”
For all this talk of cryptic teasing, I think we might see a KH2FM review 👀
More than forgotten No More Heros 3 Review? That’s just insane….
I'm glad you decided to do a second kh1 review rather than kh2
What a treat! Thank Mr. Brit
part 2 is the best ps2 game for me
I hope CoM and RE:CoM videos are on the horizon!
As a middleschooler, Another Side Another Story was the pinnacle of everything epic and cool to me. I would beat the end over and over just to watch the secret ending and wonder what it meant.
I know you're probably doing CoM next, but I can't wait for you to get to KH2
You had me on the first sentence. *go grabs a bag of chips...*
Anybody know why we hear Sora’s English voice in combat of the JP Final Mix release?
Apparently in the unknown cutscene they spliced some old lines to give him voice over.
@@TheGamingBritShow I meant during actual combat throughout the game - I saw a JP command menu, but Sora and party’s voices were in English. I must be missing something
@@victoryoroblivion9713
Square Enix tended to favor English dubs for re-releases so that the Japanese audience could get a chance to see what the characters sounded like in English, especially because many Japanese players wanted to hear the Disney characters in their original voices. Basically it's there for the novelty of hearing a new dub.
@@victoryoroblivion9713 One of the selling point for the FM versions was to have English voice acting instead of Japanese which can also be seen in 2FM and I'm pretty sure BBS FM. In fact, the JP version of KH3 Remind also has optional English voice acting as a feature.
God damn. New videos from Ross Scott, Mandy, and Brit.
Would love it if you reviewed KH2
I genuinely think that the first KH has the best pure action RPG combat of any game that isn't a FPS. It's not incredibly deep; it's no DMC 5. But it requires an equal parts skill (placement, reaction time, resource management) and jRPG stat stuff. That makes it a pure action jRPG.
I thought you already reviewed kh1 ?
4:10 it's kind of like a gameplay leitmotif
Que coisidensia, faz alguns dias que volta a re-zerar esse jogo, belo timing.
The damn colors! They changed the damn colors!
Halloween has improved
One of my fav games oat
0:23 well when you think about she kinda right