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I've played it!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: November 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I got a chance to preview this game a few weeks ago at Disney World (where I also got to meet Sora and hold the keyblade). It was great fun. Just don't expect the same style gameplay as the PS2 game. This game is card based and the card you use determines which attacks you use, which doors you open, and other such factors in the game. It is possibly more challenging (in terms of strategy) than KH was. At any rate... it was tremendous fun and shouldn't be missed by any KH, FF, or Disney fan.

A great game for KH fans

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: December 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Played Kingdom Hearts for Playstation 2 did you? You also plan on playing Kindom Hearts 2 when it comes out don't you? Yeah. You do. And if not, you should. Kingdom Hearts is a great game; it's one of my favorites on the Playstation 2. And I, along with many others anxiously await the release of it's follow-up, Kingdom Hearts 2. But what happens as Sora begins to run along the grassy fields with Donald and Goofy at the end of Kingdom Hearts? What happens out there? Who is the cloaked figure in the road that our friends meet? Will we ever know? No need to fret. This game, Kindgom Hearts: Chain of Memories will fill you in completely.

First off, let me make something clear. YOU REALLY SHOULD CONSIDER PLAYING KINGDOM HEARTS FOR PLAYSTATION 2 BEFORE YOU PLAY THIS GAME. That being said, CoM is a great game, and someone who has never played Kingdom Hearts before could probably play it and enjoy it, but I would highly recommend playing Kingdom Hearts first. Without first playing Kingdom Hearts, you would be fairly lost as to the plot, only recognizing the Disney characters. Again, you'd probably have some fun with the game, but not near the great experience that Kingdom Hearts players would experiece.

That being said, let's get down to business.

OK guys, this game is tight. I'm talking tighter than Jared Fogel's pants around his waist when he used to be fat. By all means, if you liked Kingdom Hearts and have a GBA, you need to have this game. Why? Lemme tell you.

The Story:
This game fills in stuff that you would never know if you just went straight from the first Kingdom Hearts right to #2. If you are at all a Kingdom Hearts fan and are planning on playing the next installment, then you should play this game. You will enjoy the game for this reason alone.

The Gameplay:
At a first glance, the style of fighting and exploration appears the same as the other game, but ain't, my friend. The gameplay is actually more challenging than the Playstation version. This is because it is more like an RPG as opposed to an action game like the Kingdom Hearts for Playstation 2. In short, you use cards to damage and guard against your opponents. In the same way, you use cards to open doors and control the atmosphere of what lies behind the doors. This is was a new type of system to me, but I quickly adapted to it and began to enjoy it.

The Graphics:
Dude, the FMV in the beginning says it all. Yeah, that thing is great, but unfortunately the whole game is not an FMV. Don't worry though, the in-game graphics rule as well. Not only does the game do a good job of creating a 3D feeling, but the characters are all very recognizable and their facial expressions in the text window when they talk are all convincing and beautifully done.

The Sound:
Hearing Dearly Beloved on the starting screen made me very warm and fuzzy inside, let me just say that. As for the rest of the music, you will recognize all the tunes from the original Kingdom Hearts, with some new music added as well. For a GBA, this game has a great sounding tracks.

"Wow, man!", you exclaim, "It sound like this game has it all. But is there anything wrong with it?"

Well, the answer is that there are a few little things, but they are small. First off, I'll say that the sound that they have when the text is rolling out is kind of annoying, but you get used to it after a while. Second, there is not a real wide variety of ways you can explore the world around you or ways you have the plot revealed to you. Basically, you do the same thing over and over for each world. Not that it ruins the story or anything, everything just always happens in the same predictable sequence.

So basically, there are a few little things about this game that peeve me, but they aren't that big of a deal compared to the rest of the game.

So in case you totally blew off all those other paragraphs above and are only reading this one, here is the gist: This game is wicked if you like Kingdom Hearts. It's strong points far outweigh it's few weaker ones and it doesn't fail to please all throughout. Don't hesitate to buy this bad boy.

Another reason to get a GBA

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: December 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories is a fantastic GBA release. This is one of the games that makes you glad you have a GBA in the first place.

More geared towards people who are already fans of the series, Chain of Memories takes place right where the original PS2 title left off. It's meant to connect Kingdom Hearts to its inevitable sequel.

The game begins with Sora, Donald and Goofy in the field. They run off through the field to a place called "Castle Oblivion". Inside Castle Oblivion are where Sora's memories are held. As Sora traverses the castle his memories will be revived and he'll have to face them. You'll go through all the world you visited in Kingdom Hearts. There are no new worlds which may discourage some people. Sora will eventually have to face the leaders of the castle (a group known as the organization) and face his memories.

The castle is divided up into thirteen floor. Each floor represents a world from the original game. Fans of the original will quickly recognize the different worlds and find themselves rekindling a few memories themselves.

The combat in Chain of Memories is a little different. Rather than take the premise of the first game, Chain of Memories introduces cards. The way your cards are stacked up makes a difference in the action you can take. If you shuffle your cards right, the ones you need will be right on top. But the problem with a card is it can only be used once and then it'll go back to the bottom of the deck. The cards justify your actions. Whether you can use items and spells or whether you can just physical attack. If you have your cards stacked up right you can use devastating combos.

Your enemies have cards as well. If your card outweighs theirs (Say you have a nine and they have a four) then you striek succesfully. If you get Zero, you can parry attacks and block them.

However, the entire card system is flawed in some ways. If you run out of all your good cards then you can virtually do nothing in combat. Not only that, but you can only use each card ONCE per battle. You'll also find yourself shuffleing through the cards constantly just to find the card you want, leaving you vulnerable to attacks.

Bosses have cards too. Often bosses will put their best cards on top as well and use devastating attacks in the beginning. But much like you they can only use the card once. This means you could simply wait a boss out and then go for the stirke. You can make bosses much too easy by using this tactic.

But the combat aside, the other aspects of the game are unbelievable. The graphical presentation is among the best the GBA has to offer! There are even a few 3D scenes. The character sprites look incredible as well.

Then there's the audio. Any fan of Kingdom Hearts will be familiar with some of the tunes. Several are borrowed from the original game. There is no spoken dialogue but there are voices. In battle you'll hear Sora scream when he uses an item, attacks or any other combat action.

The game is mostly geared towards those who have played and enjoyed the first game. It's an excellent game if you can have patience with the tedious card system fused into the combat.

The Good
+Beautiful Graphics
+Great sound
+Innovative battle system but...

The Bad
-The combat system is overall flawed
-No new worlds!

Best GBA game ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: January 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

First off, the most noticeble thing is the amazing graphics. The detail on the characters and the enviroments are phenominal for the GBA. The beginning cinematic is very close to the PS2's graphics. The enviremonts are also somewhat interactive. Now, when I heard it was a card battle game I got a bit scared, but it turned out to be some intense combat. It involves clever thinking and strategy. It's not what you think, in combat you can move freely and jump. it's just like real time combat with cards. The music and sound quality are very nicely done for the GBA. The plot takes a few levels to get really good, but once it gets good, your sucked in for good. The one complaint I do have though is to open doors you need map cards of certain levels to open doors. The only problem is if you need a certain card it takes a while to get it. The best part by far though, is the fact that once you beat the game you unlock Reverse/Rebirth mode. WARNING SPOILER!!! In this mode you can play as Riku and yes I said Riku! This game is by far the best GBA game on the market now. It's worth every penny. Go out and get it now!!!

UPDATED 12/20/04--As Someone Puts It, It's A Crazy Game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 32
Date: November 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

What will Sora gain?
What will Sora loose?
To awaken those slumbering memories of his...
I've been marking down my agenda for days now. Several people have already beaten the ROM version of Japanese CoM, but as far as it goes, it's best to buy it. I pre-ordered CoM a few months ago from EB, and I have no intentions of playing the ROM at all to even spoil at visual imagery. This game got those new heartless (-one of them, strangely reminds me of a particular Poke'mon), new characters (-The Organization for one thing), some secrets to be revealed, and big re-visited worlds to explore (as a friend told me from her friend, who played the ROM version). It's enough to juice the buds off any KH fan who's following the story closely. Therefore, there's enough proof that this game is the KH 1.5 and not KH all over again in GBA format. Yes, this game will come with the stunning new technology CG movies. Nomura says it'll take at least 20 hours to play this game. For me, I'll take a good amount of time (like months) on playing CoM in order to wait for KHII to come out in September (as a certain magazine source says. Not totally sure, but it sounds likely).

12/20/05--I'm back! This time with an authentic (I-have-the-game) review. Already 7 hours and third floor into the game. The card system, like everyone else says, isn't hard at all to learn. One thing to keep in mind, please accept the card system as your friend. You may first think that it's not the best way to fight but actually, using cards is an innovated way to fight the heartless. What I find surprising is that the HP level that you start off is pretty easy to keep for quite some time as your starter deck, itself, instantly comes with a (tiny insignificant spoiler)... Heal card. If you don't use this card for some time (avoiding it at any costs) it'll leave you in a more challenging state, which I'm pleased with. ^_^

When I heard the word "repetitive" with a message board review, I began to shrink back a little. Now that I see parts of the story myself, I realized that people who've never played KH1 are going to be lost at several parts (for example: Traverse Town). Although, it isn't required to play KH1 for this game, players starting from here should play KH1 for 100% understanding in story and action. Jupiter may use some scenes from KH1, but they are brief (except, I do worry for Hundred Acre Woods). Don't let each worlds' length fool you (or their boxed-repetitive obstacles). Try not to just jump ahead to the next door for a new cut-scene. Fight as many heartless as you can (as you can re-use each room until you depleted the certain required card. USE CARDS WISELY!). It'll help with your deck, HP, CP (card power), and (new term) sleights (which can be useful at some points). Oh yes, there are hard bosses (and heartless) in this game. The first boss is just an appetizer. I've already lost a few times to Hades (and is still presently trying to find a way to kill his HP). There's no skip button in cut scenes before boss battle capturing that KH tradition (whether it's fortunate or unfortunate, I can't tell).

Edit: I have to agree with one of the reviewers here. When the characters are talking, there's this clicking sound. You do get use to it after awhile. It's just this one particular character whose sound is different from the rest that might strike the ear a little, but that character's role is brief.

Overall, Chain of Memories will make you keep coming back to your GBA over n' over trying to figure out what Sora's hidden memories are. Voted best story 2004 by IGN. Top no. 1 selling chart for GBA games in Japan. For anyone trying to follow up to the KH story...or for those who only have a GBA, this one should be on your top wishlist. ^_0 It'll keep me company for an up-coming 16 hour plane ride. See ya!

A Game For Existing Fans

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: July 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you've asked around to find out what people think of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, you've probably found what I did--people either love it or hate it. Personally, I love it, but I can understand both sides of the issue. Here's the breakdown on why the game gets such mixed reviews.

For those who hate CoM, the main reason cited is the gameplay. This game utilizes a card-based combat system, which is very different than the real-time combat in Kingdom Hearts. Your character still moves freely around the battlefield, but each attack is represented by a card, which is "played" at the bottom of the screen. Sora can utilize different cards that produce hits with the Keyblade, magic spells, summons, or attacks by his friends Donald and Goofy. Cards can be "broken" by either the player or the enemy by playing a card with a higher number value, thus negating the effect of the original card. As you progress through the game, you get stronger cards and are able to have a larger deck.

What this boils down to is that for most fights, it's easy to simply play the game as if it was a regular combat engine and ignore the cards. When battling regular enemies, it is unlikely that you will die if you've been leveling up consistantly, and it's fairly easy to flip through your deck for a heal spell if you need it. The problem is that people who play this way won't learn how to utilize the deck and the card system to its full advantage, which is necessary to fight most of the bosses.

It's true that the cards can get annoying. It takes time to get used to paying attention to your card, the enemy's card, and the battlefield all at once. The battles can also become monotonous rather quickly, because except for differences in number or type of enemies, they're all the same. These are the greatest failings of Chain of Memories.

The story makes up for it all, though die-hard Sora fans might not think so. It starts out slow but soon draws the player into an intricate plot, peopled with characters who will be making appearances in Kingdom Hearts II, due out in December. The story is accessible to new players, but those who have played the original Kingdom Hearts will get much more out of it, though they may be frustrated with Sora's behavior at some points. The only failing of this story is that Sora experiences no real character development, presumably because the game designers don't want to make Kingdom Hearts II inaccessible to those who haven't played Chain of Memories.

If you can get through the game as Sora, the real fun begins. Once you've beaten the game, a new scenario is unlocked in which you can play as Riku, Sora's childhood friend. Almost all of the game's flaws are absent in this side of the story. The card system still exists, but it is much simpler, with less card variety and complication. Riku's deck is not customizable, which will be frustrating to those who enjoyed tweaking Sora's deck, but the simplicity of the system is refreshing after playing Sora's side. The levels are also much smaller, cutting down on the monotony, and the story is even richer. Unlike Sora, Riku experiences major character development over the course of the game, in ways that will produce definite changes in his character prior to Kingdom Hearts II.

After beating the first half of the game, a multiplayer mode is also unlocked, but you can't play as Riku--only as Sora. This is fun at first, but gets very monotonous, as a battle with infinite healing ability on both sides can easily go on for hours.

All in all, if you can get past the difficulties of gameplay, Chain of Memories is an excellent, engaging game. The graphics are phenomenal for a GameBoy, and if you have the means, the best way to play it is using the GameCube GameBoy Player. This game is a must-have for true Kingdom Hearts fans, and will only whet the appetite for Kingdom Hearts II.

Kingdom Hearts on the GBA?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: April 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I was a little curious about this at first. I loved KH1 and I wasn't sure it would be as fun on handheld. But heck, it was.

The card idea was nice and done well, I thought it gave an interesting twist to fighting, instead of just pressing one button all the time. YES PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY THINK!!!

Graphics....what can I say? Amazing.

Overall...Buy it, rent it, borrow it whatever! Just play it.

THIS GAME IS REALLY FUN!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First off I would like to say that this game is greatly done. The graphics for a gba game where top of the line. The storyline is amazing. It really keeps you guessing. It gives lots of information about Sora and his pass. And like the back of the box states it sets the stage for the second KH game. I thought the whole card fighting system is genies. It makes the game much harder and makes you think. Overall I have to say this game is great. It is defeantly a must buy or rent if that is the kind of gamer you are.

importaint stuff about game. *spoilers!!*

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 16
Date: November 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

It has been said that this instalment is not nessacry to understand the story but if you want to know everything you should get it. It comes out on Dec. 7 and *spoiler! (sheild your eyes!)* it shows a picture of the mysterious blond haired kid (who is importaint, and even playable in KH2). *note: no one has really gotten a good glipse of his face yet* Also, there are 5 unknowns in the KH2 trailer but there are 6 that are known of.... *another spoiler (run!!)* one of them is killed!!!!! Who... I wont say! ;-) Also when you beat the game, if you let the credits go on and on and on, you get the chance to play Riku. Yes you read right, RIKU!!! YAYNESS!!!!!!!

omg where hab this been all gba's life?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 14
Date: December 16, 2004
Author: Amazon User

this is like the best gba games made. the graphics are awesome(gba of course) and the story is also great. i wasnt so sure of getting this because of the new battle system but forget that this game i just had to get. and it seems that the battle systems great. everything here is great. all i hab to say is that this is just one of the best games i had ever played. worth buying.

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