What got you into Kingdom Hearts?

[gotitmemorized 1]

Hey everyone!

I was just curious as to what got you into the Kingdom Hearts series? Whether it was back in 2002, a few years ago or even only just this year! 

For example:

• Were you already a fan of Final Fantasy/Square Enix?
• Already a fan of Disney?
• The hype of KH3?

Let's reminisce! 

[Mkucherina 84]

I'm proud to say I've been a fan since 2002. KH and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets were my first PS2 games. I remember seeing the promo for KH on Disney channel where that kid is trying to sneak into Disney's lab or something. I grew up watching Disney movies so that aspect was what really made the game appealing for me. Back then I was only 6-7 and had no idea what Final Fantasy lol. I didn't actually beat KH 1 until I was like maybe 9 or 10 or something. I could not get past those stupid cards in Wonderland, so I just watched the cutscenes. The story really drew me in and I was hooked haha.

[HarLea Quinn 26,501]

 It was like 2010. One of my siblings got me into it. Then I really enjoyed it and fell in love with Axel's character. Then I later joined here bc I wanted to talk more about the character and game haha. Plus it was a huge distraction from a real life issue I have with my health.

[LunaCatte 169]

I was brought into it by my cousins. I went to visit them for my birthday the year it released in the US (they live in FL so... warmer climate for Winter is never something I get upset about! ) and they mentioned this Final Fantasy Disney game and I just had to see what in the heck they were talking about. Wound up getting hooked essentially instantly. They then tried to spoil some parts of it (INCLUDING THE ENDING D:<) and I just blew them off cus no way that RIKU could be the person the Keyblade was meant to go to! At least that's what I thought. They also tried to tell me that Riku was playable and I actually bought that one cus this was the heyday of secrets and unlockable characters using codes or other methods.

[Allwil13 754]

Like Mkucherina, I have proudly been a follower of the series right from the release of the first game in 2002. I was 10 years old and watching TV when a commercial came on for the first game. I immediately ran upstairs to get my mom and tell her I wanted the game for christmas. It has been my absolute favourite series ever since I first put KH into the PS2 on Christmas morning of 2002. It has been an amazing 17 years since then.

[VisitJoan 2,713]

It was the February 2012 issue of Nintendo Power.  Dream Drop Distance was the cover story.  I’ve never been obsessed with Disney moves, so I was never really interested in the series, but since Tron Legacy was going to be featured and it was going to be on a system I owned, I decided to give it a chance.  I’m glad I did.  I started watching playthroughs on YouTube and found it was so much more than Disney.  In September of that year, about a week after I  joined this site, I had a huge setback with OCD.  It got to a point where I had to play like mind games to do anything.  This site helped me through that.

[SweetYetSalty 330]

My older sister got me into the game in the summer of 2007. At first I wasn't interested, but she got me to play it, and slowly but surely it became my favorite video game franchise over the years. Because I started late I got to play Kh1 and KH2 back to back without a wait. And it wasn't long for 358/2 Feels to come out shortly after and here I am. I'm in this for the long run. KHer for life!

[Fates Chance XIII 307]

I actually remember seeing a trailer for KH1 in some store when I was like 7 and I dont know why but I remember thinking it was a Disney cross over movie! XD 

I didnt realize it was a game until I saw the original CoM in a game store. I can remember this so clearly, picking it up, thinking the box art was cool, and putting it right back down!! I wasnt in to much back then other than pokemon and mario ect so I had no interest.

My sister bought it though, and the reason we were in that game store was we were going to Brazil for like a month or 2 to visit family. So there I was, 9 yrs old, on a plane with a dead gameboy and my sister was playing this new game. I watched her for a while and kept bugging her to let me try and she finally did!

I'd never played KH1 and the thing that got me hooked was the mystery (because I had no idea what the heck was going on), the story, the characters (Axel was my favorite) and especially the theme of memories/true and false memories, and losing/forgetting memories and things that are important to you. I kinda blame CoM for how much I've treasured and valued memories my entire life. It put the idea in my head and I remember thinking alot that whole time in Brazil about what memories mean, and why they're important, and stuff. 

But then my sis took the game back and I never got to play it again cause she sold it and I couldnt remember what it was called. I remember for a while after, everytime I went to a game store I'd look at every game box in the GBA section trying to find that box art but I never could find it. 

Years pass, arround I think 2008, my sis and her friend are playing a ps2 game in our living room. I walk in and decided to hang out. It seemed pretty lame at first glance, some blonde boy beating up white monsters on some stage. 

My sister wins and suddenly, the camera pans to a man in a black coat and my eyes went wide.

"I've seen that somewhere before...but where??" i think

He's clapping, walking forward and begins to speak. 

Trying to remember where I've seen this before the man says, "You really dont remember? It's me! Ya know, Axel!" 

And he takes off his hood and I see a familiar face, the face of a favorite character from a long time ago. From a game I forgot the name of but couldnt stop thinking about even years latter.

And I flipped the HECK OUT!! 

I jumped out of my chair and began pointing and talking over the cutscene, "Bette! Bette!! (my sis) It's that guy, its that GUY!! From that gameboy game!! What's he doing here?!"

Played through KH2 and thought that was the end and kinda came to terms with that. Saw they were releasing a remade version of CoM and I remember begging for it for Christmas, got that and loved seeing Axel back where I first met him. (Was surprised to discover Vexen was a dude. Yes, I thought he was a woman until that point.) 

I didnt know if KH2 would ever get a sequal, it seemed like they couldve ended it there and I wasnt in the fandom more than just looking up fan art every now and then (because I didnt know fan forums were a thing) until I discovered a game was coming out centered on Axel and Roxas time in the Org!! (Dont remember how though)

Found the fan forums where I could talk and theorize with other fans, get news and updates and that was where I think I realized the series had me forever.

And I've been hooked ever since.

I kinda love that after all this time Axel- the character that helped get me invested in this game series and was my reintroduction to this series- has remained my favorite character. 

And just how I got reintroduced to it in general honestly,  it was too perfect! 

Cant wait to read everyone elses KH stories!

Edited February 20, 2019 by Fates Chance XIII

[Javelin434 3,164]

I saw KH1 Kairi in a music video, fell in love with her and needed to know who she was and what her story was.

 

first waifu and best reason I started playing the series! 

[Azure Flame 670]

Initially I saw the very first KH1 trailer, the one that showed Sora running through Disney Castle and thought 'Oh, that's neat'  Later on at Christmas time, I got it as a presant from my parents, thinking I would like it.  This was back when it first came out back in 2002, when I was 14 and I'm still loving the series even at 30, having bought every KH game to come to America, except the all in one collection.

[EchoFox23* 318]

I saw Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days in a Nintendo Power once on the cover and my friend talked about how awesome it was. I was just in for Mickey cause I was a huge Disney fan back then. I faintly remember a commercial for it on tv and it played Simple and Clean, and I remember humming that a lot until I got 358/2 Days. When I got it, it was right before Gamestop was about to close and the cashier was super friendly. I think he did something super nice for me but I don't remember... probably helping me pay for it or something like that with loose change. It helped me get over my dumb fears of Alice in Wonderland and Nightmare Before Christmas. It also acted as an excuse to cry at something while I was crying over my "friend" silently ending our friendship during a sleep over. 

I lurked on this site for a while, mostly for the funny pictures at first before I was invested in the news. After a while of debating over joining, I finally did it in November of 2014. I've always been anxious of making topics (especially) or even posting things, but I'm getting better... or at least I hope XD

[Movies798 1,358]

What got me into Kingdom Hearts was the commercial of Kingdom Hearts 1, and that old Disney Channel short clip of this kid who sneak into forbidden areas in the Disney company or something. Back than the only thing I care about was the Disney element because I love seeing Donald and Goofy meeting different Disney characters and joining forces with them, and because I'm a huge Disney fan. I didn't care about Sora though because I didn't know who the hell he was lol. Plus, during that time I didn't know about Final Fantasy. I was only thinking about the Disney stuff. Then after playing Kingdom Hearts 1, Chain of Memories (Gameboy Advance), and Kingdom Hearts 2 back in 2006 I've became a huge Kingdom Hearts fan! And I love all the original characters Sora, Riku, Kairi, Xion, Roxas, Namine, Aqua, Terra, Ventus, and Lea/Axel. That's what got me into Kingdom Hearts.

[2 quid is good 2,209]

It was 2009/2010 and I was watching the Days advert on TV. It looked like nothing I'd ever seen before and Sanctuary playing in the background made it for me.
I bought KH2 because I knew it was from the same series plus it had roxas on the cover and the rest is history.

Weirdly enough I was definitely more interested in KH when I found out it had FF in it, because although Disney is great and all Disney games had terrible reputations for a reason.

 

[teh lazy prince Xylek 1,559]

my friend jeff

[The Unversed 168]

My childhood friend got me into Kingdom Hearts. We were both still kids at the time when KH1 come out & she had trouble beating the bosses, so she got me to try playing the game to see if I could beat them for her. She kept on saying that I was better at games than her so I shouldn't have much trouble, even though she was the only one at the time to have a game console haha   

[Mystics Apprentice 2,397]

My younger sister had gotten Days and Re:coded for her birthday back in 2011'ish.  She said that they were really good and that I should give the series a try.  Since we have very similar interest in games, and I am a huge fan of Final Fantasy, I had considered it.  It wasn't until I watched some of the 358 Days cutscenes over her shoulder, though, that I became interested enough to play.  I greatly enjoyed Re:coded, it being my first KH game to play.  I then had to purchase a PS2 just to play KH1, 2, and Re:Chain of Memories.  I was a very avid fan very fast.  

[Endless Thundaga 533]

My Dad got the first game for me on Easter of the release month. I grew up with Disney since my parents are cast members, so they thought I would enjoy it. 

[Karxrida 154]

So around 2007ish I was with my friend in a Target and he pointed out II to me. I recognized the series from seeing commercials of I in elementary school and I got the game.

 

And history was made.

[Ventus_ 396]

Proud fan from the beginning, 2002.

A couple of friends and I were at the mall and saw a poster for it of the original box art hanging in the window of a Gamestop and were intrigued by the presence of Donald and Goofy. Well, my best friend and I were, while our third friend had already played and had been the one to light the actual spark when he gave us a brief description. 

When the first Playstation came out, my best friend and I played almost every game as a collab. Most of the time we'd take turns with the controller during sleepovers or hangouts but occasionally one of us might progress a bit alone and copy the save file to the other's memory card the next time we got together. 

So not long after that fateful mall trip, my best friend and I rented the game. Yes, rented. Physical media rental places still existed and even VHS tapes hadn't been entirely forgotten just yet. That's how old this franchise is. 
I'd stayed the night at her house and she hadn't gotten a PS2 yet so I had to bring mine. The mini she ended up with hadn't existed yet but fortunately the original was lightweight and easy to hook up. 

We'd chosen the staff though I don't remember what we'd relinquished. I kind of want to say the sword. 
I remember how long and annoying the Destiny Islands introduction was because it took time for me to appreciate the originality, at this time we were anxious to get to the Disney worlds. We also thought Sora was a weird name for a boy because we were used to it as the name of a female character in Digimon. 
You're wondering about the dual pronouns, the collab bit has a sad ending and I'm coming to that. 

We made it as far as Deep Jungle, which I am pretty sure was our first Disney world before we got stuck with the Clayton battle and after that my best friend kind of just lost interest and thus the era of our collab-ing ended. 

Remember that third friend who was with us at the mall when we came across the game poster and who'd played before? I called upon him to come and beat the Clayton battle for me. In retrospect, I can't believe that was so hard. I might have needed him for Ursula as well. 
From there I continued on alone.

Fun tidbit: I was such a noob that I had no idea about the equipment or abilities and thus inadvertently Kingdom Keyed it with no armor or accessories for over half the game. 

I remember trying to call upon that friend again to get me through the final battles but he told me to level up more. He did go through my characters' equipment and abilities though that's how I realized just how dense I was. 
Admittedly, I still haven't even tried those final battles. Not even in 1.5. I've only gotten as far as Final Rest. >_<

I still have the PS2, and both my memory cards with the data intact and have discovered backward compatibility on my PS3. 
New goal: Complete the original game twice, once on that original file and once on 1.5.