Our favourite moments in KINGDOM HEARTS
To celebrate the release of KINGDOM HEARTS on PC, the creators of the latest game in the series share their memories and tell us the moments in the series that mean the most to them.We hope you find someone who looks at you the way KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory looks at the rest of the KINGDOM HEARTS series.
More than a rhythm-action game, Melody of Memory is a celebration of the series as a whole. Every stage of this rhythm-action extravaganza is overflowing with music, references, and familiar sights that will bring the warm and fuzzies to even the most Heartless of fans. In short, it’s a game all about sharing and celebrating memories of the saga.
PC gamers can now experience those memories for themselves, with the release of multiple KINGDOM HEARTS titles on the Epic Games Store. To celebrate the launch of these games, we asked the developers of Melody of Memory to share their fondest recollections of the series so far - and what KINGDOM HEARTS really means to them.
Let the Memory Dive begin….
Ichiro Hazama, Producer for KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory
What’s your fondest memory of working on KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory?
I’ve worked on some related products before, but Melody of Memory is the first time I’ve worked directly on a game from the KINGDOM HEARTS series.
I once had the good fortune of attending the recording session for some of the songs in KINGDOM HEARTS II. Even better, they were the songs for Atlantica! So as you can imagine, being able to work on a game where people can enjoy those songs in a different way has been very meaningful for me.
I hope through this game I can introduce more people to even just a little of the magic of KINGDOM HEARTS!
What’s your fondest memory of playing the KINGDOM HEARTS series?
I love the scene near the end credits of the original KINGDOM HEARTS, where it shows the drawing on the cave wall that Kairi has added to.
I think it’s a beautiful scene that shows the end of one story, but also lets you imagine how the characters will continue to be connected.
Even now, I’ll totally cry if I watch it!
Masanobu Suzui, Co-Director of KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory
What’s your fondest memory of working on KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory?
I met Yoko Shimomura back when I was working on THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY, and she kindly gave me a KINGDOM HEARTS soundtrack CD! I remember thinking that I really wanted to make a KINGDOM HEARTS rhythm-action game one day.
Melody of Memory was my first opportunity to work on the series directly and it gave me the chance to meet lots of the original staff who worked on KINGDOM HEARTS, including Tetsuya Nomura.
Everyone really treasures the characters and the universe of KINGDOM HEARTS, and I learned so much from them all. Being able to work on such a great series myself is a real honour and a wonderful opportunity. I’m incredibly grateful.
What’s your fondest memory of playing the series?
I love all the scenes with sea salt ice cream in KINGDOM HEARTS II and KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days.
They all left a deep impression on me - the image of the main characters eating sea salt ice cream is burned into my brain.
KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory Staff A
What is your fondest memory of working on KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory?
I worked on the note sequences for the MEMORY DIVE videos. In these stages, you play along with a song, while a video of key moments or characters plays in the background.
The VisualWorks team made these videos, and whenever I’d send a request asking them to make it in a certain way, it would come back 100 times better than I’d imagined it - every time!
My heart couldn’t take it – in a good way! I had tears in my eyes the whole time I was checking the videos!
What’s your fondest memory of playing the series
I think it’s KINGDOM HEARTS II FINAL MIX, specifically the scene where Roxas says goodbye to Axel.
I love the short exchange: the way Roxas tells Axel to take care, rather than saying a final farewell, and how Axel replies the same way back to Roxas. It’s just so poignant.
I’d only played upbeat and happy games before KINGDOM HEARTS, so I was shocked by such a sad twist when I played it. When I was a student, I remember re-watching that scene over at a friend’s house on their PS2, and we both started crying!
KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory Staff B
What’s your fondest memory of working on KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory?
I’ve played KINGDOM HEARTS since I was young, and I love the series. I was so happy to be able to work on it as a developer. Mostly, I worked on the user interface design (UI), but I also had the opportunity to get involved with the specifications and more fundamental parts of the game!
The main menu for Melody of Memory had a completely different design at the start of development, but since it didn’t really match the rest of the game, I made the decision to redo the design partway through development.
Since development time was limited, it wasn’t easy to change the design, but lots of other staff members helped me. In the end, we were able to make something that I’m proud of.
All of us on the development staff put a piece of ourselves into this game and filled it with scenes that we wanted to see, so I hope the players enjoy it!
What’s your fondest memory of playing the KINGDOM HEARTS series?
The scene at the end of KINGDOM HEARTS where Sora and Kairi’s hands are pulled apart, the scene at the beginning of KINGDOM HEARTS II where Roxas’s summer holiday ends, the scene in KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days where Axel has to face off against Xion... there are so many amazing moments, I couldn’t possibly list them all!
If I had to pick one though, my absolute favourite is the scene in the final battle of KINGDOM HEARTS III where Sora, Donald, and Goofy fight together.
I was so happy that the three of them got to fight together right at the very end, I cried throughout the whole fight. The part where you hear Donald and Goofy from the controller made me so emotional, I had trouble breathing!
I love that scene so much! It really makes you feel like, it just has to be these three together. They’re three half-pints that make a whole pint!
Thanks to KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory team for reminding us of some very memorable scenes. All these moments can be experienced right now on PC, with the release of the KINGDOM HEARTS series on the Epic Games Store.
Four titles are out now on PC, comprising 11 experiences:
- KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX
- KINGDOM HEARTS HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue
- KINGDOM HEARTS III + Re Mind DLC
- KINGDOM HEARTS Melody of Memory
All are available to download right now:
You’ve read the dev’s memories, but what about your own? Which scenes or moments from the KINGDOM HEARTS series do you remember most fondly? Share your thoughts with us on social media: