A newly re-recorded version of Hikari has released on Utada Hikaru's latest album, Science Fiction. The album, which released today features 26 tracks including newly mixed and re-recorded songs from across the singer's discography. Hikari, and its English language counterpart, Simple and Clean, have of course featured prominently as opening and ending themes throughout various games in the Kingdom Hearts series.
Back in January the tracklist for Science Fiction revealed Hikari, as one of the many songs on the album receiving a re-recording.
You can check out Hikari (Re-Recording) on the singer's official YouTube channel below
In the lead up to Science Fiction's release Utada Hikaru's official YouTube channel was also uploading 4K versions of previous music videos, including those for Hikari and Passion.
You can also listen to the full Science Fiction album on various music streaming platforms now.
What do you think of the newly re-recorded version of Hikari? Let us know in the comments below!
Square Enix has announced the launch of their new pet goods brand SQEX PETS, which will feature various merchandise for pets such as leashes, bandanas, clothing, beds and toys based on the Kingdom Hearts series as well as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.
With the exception of the Dragon Quest items, the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts items were supervised by Tetsuya Nomura, who also serves as character designer, game designer, and director for Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. He also designed and drew the logo for FINAL FANTASY & PETs.
The Kingdom Hearts & Pets merchandise line contains six items
Cafe Monogram Mat
Sora dog wear
Monogram Pet Bandana
Monogram Pet Bed
Monogram Pet Leash
Paopu Fruit Rope Toy
You can take a closer look at the items in our gallery below
It should be noted that the products are currently listed as coming soon, and there is currently no release date or pricing information available for them as they are still under development and may not be sold depending on their development status.
Would you purchase Kingdom Hearts merchandise for your pets? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks to our team's Ryuji for the translations.
Both the Japanese and Global accounts on X for Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link have announced that closed beta testing for Android devices will take place from April 25th through May 2nd. Players selected for the Android closed beta test will be notified through email around April 19th.
You can view the full announcement below
Previously Square Enix had announced that the Android closed beta test, originally scheduled to take place in January 2024, would instead be delayed into Spring 2024, due to the need for further adjustments to be made to ensure the game ran comfortably on a wide range of devices.
The iOS closed beta test for Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link was previously held in November of 2023. KH13's very own Kimpchuu shared his impressions of the closed beta test which you can view here.
The official YouTube channel of Utada Hikaru has been uploading several 4K versions of previous music videos, with one of the most recent being "Hikari."
For those unaware, "Hikari" is the Japanese theme song of the first Kingdom Hearts, with the English version being "Simple and Clean."
“Hikari” was first released in Utada’s 2002 album "Deep River" before being used for several Kingdom Hearts entries. This iconic song has also been remixed multiple times, namely PLANiTb and -Ray of Hope MIX-.
A 4K version of the “Passion” music video is scheduled to be uploaded on March 30, 2024, at 8 AM ET/ 5 AM PT.
You can view the 4K music video of "Hikari" below:
Five new Kingdom Hearts II Ultra Detail Figures are now available for pre-order on AmiAmi. The figures feature Sora, Riku, Mickey, Pete, and Chip n Dale as they appear in Kingdom Hearts II. Currently, the Sora, Riku, Mickey, and Chip n Dale figures are available for ¥1,570 (approx. $10.37 USD) and the Pete figure is available for ¥1,870 (approx. $12.35 USD). Each figure is set to release November 2024.
Previously, figures of Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, and Mickey have been revealed as part of the Ultra Detail Figure lineup.
You can take a closer look at each figure in our gallery below, alongside their pre-order links
Ultra Detail Figure Kingdom Hearts II Sora
Ultra Detail Figure Kingdom Hearts II Riku
Ultra Detail Figure Kingdom Hearts II Mickey Mouse
Ultra Detail Figure Kingdom Hearts II Pete
Ultra Detail Figure Kingdom Hearts II Chip n Dale
Will you be picking up any of these figures? Let us know in the comments below!
In a recent interview with IGN, Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura discusses about her previous work not only in the Kingdom Hearts series, but with many other series including Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Live A Live, and more as she is the recipient of this year's Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards.
In addition, Shimomura has begun work on the soundtrack for Kingdom Hearts IV. You can read the entirity of the interview here.
UPDATE: IGN's story was updated to say the following:
Correction: A previous version of this story said Shimomura was working on several songs for Kingdom Hearts 4. That was a misunderstanding, and this article has been updated to reflect that Shimomura instead meant she's working on various tracks for several different games.
The official Disney Pins Blog has announced that a new Kingdom Hearts pin is now available at Disney Theme Parks via Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and the Disney Store.
Fans can purchase this item and several other recently launched premium pins for $21.99. However, only 3,000 of these pins were produced.
You can view the new Kingdom Hearts pin below. It features Mickey with the Kingdom Key D, which has one of his end quotes from the original game stating, "There will always be a door to the light."
You can view the other newly made available pins via the official Disney Pins Blog.
The Japanese Kingdom Hearts Twitter account tweeted a new piece of artwork commemorating the launch of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. This artwork depicts Sora in Quadratum watching Sephiroth, who is wearing his Kingdom Hearts attire, on multiple screens, similar to the advertising Square Enix did in Shibuya over the past couple of days. You can view the artwork in the gallery below.
Congratuations on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on their release launch!
The Square Enix North America Store has revealed nine new Kingdom Hearts Acrylic Stands now available for pre-order, releasing in August 2024. Three of the stands featuring the key art for Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Kingdom Hearts II, and Kingdom Hearts will cost $34.99 each, while the other six stands featuring Sora, Kairi, and Roxas will cost $14.99 each.
You can take a closer look at each of the Acrylic Stands in our gallery below, alongside their product links:
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Acrylic Stand - Boundary - $34.99
Kingdom Hearts II Acrylic Stand - Heart - $34.99
Kingdom Hearts Acrylic Stand - Premonition - $34.99
Kingdom Hearts III Acrylic Stand - Kairi - Promise - $14.99
Kingdom Hearts III Acrylic Stand - Sora - Promise - $14.99
Kingdom Hearts II Acrylic Stand - Late Summer - $14.99
Kingdom Hearts II Acrylic Stand - Ocean - $14.99
Kingdom Hearts Acrylic Stand - Wind - $14.99
Kingdom Hearts Acrylic Stand - Beach - $14.99
Will you be picking up any of these acrylic stands? Let us know in the comments below!
The Square Enix Japan e-Store has revealed three new Kingdom Hearts themed plushes of Sora, Riku, and Kairi based on their appearances in the original Kingdom Hearts game. The plushes are set to release June 8th, 2024 for ¥4,180 (approx. $28.00 USD).
UPDATE (Feb 9, 2024): Pre-orders are available on Aitai Kuji. Each plush will cost ¥3,340 (approx. $23.00) and will be available in June.
You can view each of the plushes alongside their store links in our gallery below.
Kingdom Hearts Series Plush KH Sora
Kingdom Hearts Series Plush KH Riku
Kingdom Hearts Series Plush KH Kairi
Will you be picking up any of these plushes to add to your collection? Let us know in the comments below!
UPDATE 2/13/2024: Square Enix North American store links are listed below. Each plush is $39.99 and expected to ship in October 2024:
Kairi
Sora
Riku
Additionally, the plushes are available for pre-order via AmiAmi, with each costing ¥3,550 ahead of planned June 2024 releases:
Kairi
Sora
Riku
Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura will be this year's recipient for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards. Shimomura will be the first composer to receive the prestigious award.
This award recognizes individuals that impact not only the games they work on, but the gaming industry in general. Previous winners include Shigeru Miyamoto, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Todd Howard, and John Carmack among others.
The 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards will be during the Game Developers Conference week, which will be happening March 18-24, 2024 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California. The awards will be on Wednesday March 20th at 6:30 PM PDT (9:30 PM EDT) and will be broadcast on Twitch.
Congratulations to Yoko on her latest achievement and we wait for more music for Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link and Kingdom Hearts IV!
The Square Enix Japan e-Store has revealed a new line of fluffy loungewear sets and slippers based on Sora, Kairi, Riku, and King Mickey. The Sora, Riku, and Kairi loungewear sets are two piece sets based on their outfits from Kingdom Hearts III and can be pre-ordered for ¥13,200 (approx. $88.99 USD). The King Mickey set is a one piece set and can be pre-ordered for ¥11,000 (approx. $74.16 USD).
Additionally the matching loungewear slippers are available for pre-order for ¥3,850 (approx. $25.95 USD) releasing on February 29th, 2024 as well.
UPDATE [Feb 8, 2024]: Pre-orders are available on Aitai Kiju! The prices are the same as listed on Square Enix Japan e-Store and the release date will be February 29th, 2024.
You can view each of the loungewear pieces in our gallery below, as well as their pre-order links.
Kingdom Hearts III Fluffy Loungewear Set - Sora
Square Enix e-Store || Aitai Kuji
Kingdom Hearts III Fluffy Loungewear Slippers - Sora
Square Enix e-Store || Aitai Kuji
Kingdom Hearts III Fluffy Loungewear Set - Kairi
Square Enix e-Store || Aitai Kuji
Kingdom Hearts III Fluffy Loungewear Slippers - Kairi
Square Enix e-Store || Aitai Kuji
Kingdom Hearts III Fluffy Loungewear Set - Riku
Square Enix e-Store || Aitai Kuji
Kingdom Hearts III Fluffy Loungewear Slippers - Riku
Square Enix e-Store || Aitai Kuji
Kingdom Hearts Fluffy Loungewear Set - King Mickey
Square Enix e-Store || Aitai Kuji
Kingdom Hearts Fluffy Loungewear Slippers - King Mickey
Square Enix e-Store || Aitai Kuji
Will you be purchasing any of these loungewear sets? Let us know in the comments below!
Sega Plaza have announce a new Kingdom Hearts plush coming to Sega Plaza crane game. This plush is King Mickey wearing his iconic Kingdom Hearts II outfit. Kingdom Hearts II King Mickey will be available at the plaza starting March 15th.
Square Enix has announced that the Android closed beta test for its upcoming free-to-play mobile game, Kingdom Hearts Missing–Link, has been delayed to Spring 2024. It was originally planned for January 2024.
The development team apologized for the delay, explaining that they have more adjustments to make in order to ensure it can be played more comfortably.
The iOS closed beta test of Kingdom Hearts Missing–Link was held in November 2023. At the same time, Tetsuya Nomura participated in a Special Focus Group Event in which several story, character, and gameplay details were discussed.
Our team's Kimpchuu shared his impressions of the Kingdom Hearts Missing–Link iOS closed beta test, which you can check out here.
A translation of the latest tweet from the official Kingdom Hearts Missing–Link account announcing the Android closed beta test delay can be viewed below via our team's Ryuji:
A new Kingdom Hearts themed Ichiban Kuji lottery has been announced titled Kingdom Hearts -Linking Hearts- set to release in May 2024 which will feature various Kingdom Hearts themed prizes including but not limited to character statues, towels, tumblers and various other Kingdom Hearts themed merchandise. You can view the prize list below thanks to KH13 Staff Member Ryuji.
Prize Tiers
♦ Tier A - Sora Statue
♦ Tier B - Visual bath towel
♦ Tier C - Cushion
♦ Tier D - Glass plate
♦ Tier E - Selection of towels
♦ Tier F - Design Tumbler
♦ Tier G - Keyblade Charm Collection
♦ Last One Prize Tier - Roxas Statue
♦ Double Chance Campaign Tier - Sora Statue
Kingdom Hearts themed prizes have featured in three other Ichiban Kuji lotteries over the years including the first Kingdom Hearts Ichiban Kuji, Kingdom Hearts Ichiban Kuji ~Second Memory~ and the Kingdom Hearts 20th anniversary Ichiban Kuji.
.jpeg.a1f0100502e0562c9390f59c6e161ab3.jpeg)
