Almost 20 years after playing Kingdom Hearts, I love Final Fantasy

Like many children born within the mid-’90s, I spent my childhood obsessing over Kingdom Hearts. I dove into the sequence for Donald, Goofy, Aladdin, and that fixed tease of Mickey Mouse. However I saved bumping into characters with gunblades, big-ass swords, large shuriken, and zippers who I knew nothing about. These have been, in fact, Remaining Fantasy staples Leon (Squall Leonhart), Cloud Strife, and Yuffie — characters who would lead me right into a love for Remaining Fantasy 20 years later.

At first, I didn’t give a rattling about these people — I purchased the sport for the speaking duck who does magic. However over childhood years replaying the unique Kingdom Hearts, weathering my outdated technique information and ready three years for the sequel, these characters turned a part of my Disney canon. I didn’t struggle alongside Leon, Yuffie, Cloud, Aerith, and Sephiroth from the Remaining Fantasy sequence I’d by no means performed; it was Leon, Yuffie, Cloud, Aerith, and Sephiroth from Kingdom Hearts.

Regardless of understanding they have been from different video games — simply as Aladdin, Peter Pan, and Ariel have been from their very own films — I by no means opened my coronary heart to Remaining Fantasy. The thought of transferring to a turn-based sequence with a number of studying wasn’t interesting to childhood me. However many years later, I’ve gotten deep into Remaining Fantasy by way of Remaining Fantasy 7: Remake, Yuffie’s Intergrade DLC, Remaining Fantasy 15, and Remaining Fantasy 14. Remaining Fantasy 7: Remake’s sequel and Remaining Fantasy 16 are a few of my most anticipated video games of the subsequent few years. Practically 20 years later, it seems like my Kingdom Hearts training is lastly paying off.

Kingdom Hearts: The JRPG gateway drug

Picture: Sq. Enix

In the event you haven’t performed Kingdom Hearts since childhood, you’d be stunned to return and see that it begins as extra of a Remaining Fantasy sport than a Disney one. Outdoors of some quick seems at Donald, Goofy, Minnie, Daisy, and the chipmunks in Renaissance Truthful cosplay, the primary a number of hours include hanging out on a seaside with Remaining Fantasy characters Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka. When Sora results in Traverse City, Pluto kilos on his chest, and he wanders round a city that has extra Remaining Fantasy characters than Disney ones.

“Who the hell are these folks?” I keep in mind considering as a toddler. However both in my pure pleasure about glimpses of Donald and Goofy or the sheer boredom of being a toddler with limitless free time, I pushed ahead previous Leon’s unwinnable boss struggle and exposition-laden speeches. I shortly warmed to Leon given his Massive Silly Sword Gun (the notorious Gunblade, which I nonetheless assume is cool).

I added the entire numerous Remaining Fantasy characters to my mind over years of learning Kingdom Hearts and its sequel. I sorted them into bins crammed with half-truths and a 10-year-old’s grasp on their backgrounds. I assumed Yuffie and Leon have been from the identical Remaining Fantasy sport, and I by no means knew Aerith’s true destiny. I saved my distance from the Remaining Fantasy sequence as a child, however I saved that field with all these recollections locked away in my mind.

Crops years within the making

Picture: Sq. Enix

I bought a duplicate of Remaining Fantasy 15 in school, though I can’t keep in mind why. I used to be excited however skeptical to dive into the sequence 15-plus entries in. To my shock, I adored all the pieces about it. I used to be genuinely moved by a second when one celebration member misplaced his sight and continued to attempt to struggle. “Is this what I’ve been lacking?” I assumed. After I found that many Remaining Fantasy lovers didn’t look after 15, I cataloged my expertise as a fluke.

When Remaining Fantasy 7: Remake got here alongside, it modified my whole perspective and reignited my curiosity. I’d realized by way of 15 that I may love Remaining Fantasy, even with out the sequence’ wealthy historical past, and I’d not less than heard of Cloud Strife by way of my time with Kingdom Hearts. In Remake, I discovered among the similar sort of storytelling and frenetic fight that I cherished from Remaining Fantasy 15. However even higher, I unearthed that field of recollections I’d hidden away years in the past.

Right here have been the characters I knew from my childhood! Cloud, the brooding jerk conflicted by his darkish previous. Aerith, that quiet lady who hangs out with Donald and Goofy. Sephiroth, that piece of shit with the not possible boss struggle. I knew these folks; effectively, I knew a model of them.

That understanding feeling actually hit house with Yuffie’s Intergrade DLC final month, as she was one of many extra vocal solid members within the unique Kingdom Hearts. It was weird to see this character I met in childhood devoid from what I considered her unique setting, thrust again into the sequence she got here from. I bought to find who Yuffie is over again and see how she’s totally different from the assured, smiley Yuffie from Kingdom Hearts.

Picture: Sq. Enix

It felt like watching House Jam after which going again to a Bugs Bunny cartoon, or maining Samus in Tremendous Smash Bros. earlier than taking part in any of her video games. These characters are acquainted to me, however they’re not the identical. I do know them, however solely by way of an imposter.

Kingdom Hearts spent years making an attempt to get me to care about Remaining Fantasy, however all I got here away with was a bunch of names and fond recollections of Winnie the Pooh, Merlin the wizard, and Cid the Gummi mechanic. I ignored Tetsuya Nomura’s name as a toddler, however I got here again as an grownup to seek out all these characters ready for me.

In a method, I’m grateful for this angle. If I’d adopted the trail Kingdom Hearts set out for me once I was a child, I may’ve skilled all the Remaining Fantasy sequence main as much as 15 and Remake. However I additionally may’ve grow to be bored with the method and even the fandom. My path to Remaining Fantasy was a roundabout one, lined in weird fever goals involving Ansem and Alice in Wonderland. However it’s created a fan who is aware of simply sufficient in regards to the unique variations of those characters to be excited in regards to the future with out the burden of the franchise’s 34-year historical past.