Kingdom Hearts II

Kingdom Hearts II is an RPG video game sequel to the 2002 Disney/Square RPG Kingdom Hearts, though it is actually the third installment in the series. Directed by Tetsuya Nomura, the game continues Sora's adventures in finding King Mickey and Riku with the help of a large cast of Disney characters including Donald, Goofy, Jack Sparrow, Tron, Aladdin, the Beast and more. Developed by Square Enix, Kingdom Hearts II was released in Japan on December 22, 2005. The English version will be released on March 28, 2006 in North America [1], followed by European and Australian releases later in the year. The in-game music is composed by Yoko Shimomura, who composed the music for the first game, and the theme song Passion (Sanctuary for the international release) is written and performed by Japanese pop music star Utada Hikaru.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Overview

Kingdom Hearts II begins where Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories left off. Sora and his companions have been asleep for about a year, regaining their memories. When Sora awakens, he eventually arrives in Twilight Town, the place where a mysterious boy, Roxas, who can use dual Keyblades, lived before he left suddenly. Gaining new clothes and powers, Sora began his journey anew, unaware of the events that have taken place in Chain of Memories. Sora continues his quest, sealing the keyholes of each world to protect them from the Heartless, as well as facing Axel and the remaining members of the mysterious Organization XIII. As the game progresses, Sora learns how much he and Roxas have in common.

Worlds

Sora, Donald Duck, Goofy and Jack Sparrow in the Port Royal world of Kingdom Hearts II.

As in the first Kingdom Hearts game, the player can access different worlds with themes based mostly on Disney films.

Disney-based worlds

  • The Land of Dragons, from Mulan (1998)
  • Beast's Castle, from Beauty and the Beast (1991)
  • Olympus Coliseum, from Hercules (1997)
  • Timeless River, from Steamboat Willie (1928)
  • 100 Acre Wood, from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
  • Atlantica, from The Little Mermaid (1989)
  • Port Royal, from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
  • Agrabah, from Aladdin (1992)
  • Halloween Town, from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
  • Pride Land, from The Lion King (1994)
  • Space Paranoids, from Tron (1982)

Original worlds

  • Twilight Town
  • Destiny Islands (Unplayable)
  • Hollow Bastion
  • Disney Castle
  • The World That Never Was

New gameplay features

Gameplay is revamped from the last game; there are various new features offering the potential of more interesting play.

Drive Forms

One of Sora's first drives, "Brave".

Sora can "fuse" with either Donald or Goofy to become more powerful and acquire different attributes as well. Three out of the five forms allow Sora to use two Keyblades instead of one, and the second keyblade may be equipped in the items menu for this purpose. There are five drive forms in all.

The first two forms have Sora merge with one of his permanent party members, Donald or Goofy. One is Brave Form, where Sora merges with Goofy, and dons red and black clothes. Although he cannot use magic in this form, Sora gains a massive boost to his physical ability. Sora wields two Keyblades which doubles his combo potential dramatically and also gives him additional attacks. Sora also runs twice as fast in this form. The other, Wisdom Form, is where Sora merges with Donald for this form, and he dons blue and black clothes. Sora gains a massive magic attack boost, and hovers across the floor never touching the ground, instead of running giving him superior movement control. Wisdom Form replaces the attack command with shoot, which lets him shoot a blue magic bullet from the tip of the Keyblade in rapid fire if pressed continuously making Wisdom Form a long distance specialized form.

The other two forms have Sora combine with two of Donald, Goofy or another party member to attain greater power than in the other two forms. Master Form, where Sora merges with both Donald and Goofy, combines the powers of the Brave and Wisdom forms. Sora's combo potential is increased, and his magic power is increased as well. Two Keyblades can be wielded,one psychokinetically and the other is held normally. His clothes turn yellow and black, and he is able to glide very swiftly as well as perform a double jump. The drawback to this form is that the drive meter will decrease quicker than the previous two drives. When in Final Form, Sora will merge with both other party members and don silver and black clothing. Wielding two Keyblades psychokinetically as well as the ability to fly incredibly fast, Sora wields incredible power in this form, dispatching enemies with ease and dealing increased physical and magical damage.

Anti Form is a bizarre form that is caused by taking too much damage while in Drive form, and then attempting to use the Drive command afterward. Sora turns completely black like a shadow, walks on all fours, and has yellow eyes, similar to a basic Heartless. While in this form, both partners disappear and Sora uses his "claws" for wide-range attacks that may be weak with individual attacks, but he also has a very high maximum combo count. Unlike the other forms, when this form occurs it will cancel out Drive when entering a new area as opposed to staying in effect. Sora is also unable to use either items or magic, and both of the computer controlled partners will dissappear regardless of who Sora drives with.

Reaction command

The reaction command, similar to the Resident Evil 4 real time reaction commands, is used during fights and can allow you to perform certain actions when timed correctly. For example, against "Dusk" nobodies, your character will slide behind the normally evasive opponents and set you up for a combo. Reaction commands can also trigger counter moves as well. For example, a nobody might shoot a red bullet at you, but with a well timed reaction command, Sora will kick the bullet back at it. Reaction commands are often pivotal in defeating bosses as well.

Combination Attack

Simba and Sora's team attack knock rocks up from the ground and have Sora and Simba roar intensely to do damage.

A gameplay addition gives Sora a special linked attack with any of the guest characters, and the effect varies depending on the character teaming up with Sora. In the Olympus Coliseum world, for example, Sora has the option to perform a linked attack with Auron when battling enemies. Later in the game Sora will also be able to perform team attacks with Donald and Goofy individually in similar fashion.

Magic abilities

Sora's magic spells from Kingdom Hearts has been modified. Some spells have been replaced, other have differing effects. Casting spells in different drive forms also offers another variety to the spell effects, mostly increasing their strength. Two new abilities introduced to the game are Magnet and Reflect. Magnet creates a sphere that slowly sucks in enemies. Reflect causes a large shield to form around Sora for a very short amount of time, then crack and send out sharp shards a limited distance.

Summons

The Stitch summon involves music.

Like the previous game, Sora can summon a particular character to aid him in battle when attaining each of their respective items. Summoning however, uses the drive meter, so Sora can't drive and summon at the same time. The character will replace the two computer-controlled characters and fight alongside Sora for as long as the drive meter holds out. Instead of the summoned character being limited to only one action, the summoned character now has a menu of his own to perform multiple actions, some solo actions and some cooperative actions with Sora. There are four summons.

  • Chicken Little is the titular character of Chicken Little. Chicken when summoned, chucks baseballs at enemies when on his own. His attack with Sora, "FPS", is, as suggested, a First Person Shooter-like mode where Chicken can throw baseballs in rapid fire from a first person view.
  • Genie is the blue genie in a lamp who helps the titular character of Aladdin. Genie attacks with a humorous recreation of Sora's keyblade, and has a command to mimick any one of Sora's drive forms. The drive form to mimick must be unlocked first. Depending on the form he is in, Genie will be able to perform an enormously damaging move.
  • Stitch is the cute but destructive anti hero of Lilo & Stitch. When summoned, Stitch is somewhat unique. He will actually climb around the menu screens as well as the screen itself (as if he were on the surface of your screen), and do various things while shooting the enemies with his plasma gun somewhat nonchalantly. His team attack with Sora is a ukelele jam session where different buttons can be pressed to prompt different musical attacks for big damage.
  • Peter Pan is the boy who never grows up and the titular character of Peter Pan. Peter comes with Tinker Bell, and flies around attacking much like he did in the first Kingdom Hearts when he was a temporary party member. Tinkerbell heals Sora constantly at the same time. His team attack with Sora is somewhat cinematic, as Sora will be reminded of his adventures in Neverland in the first game (with pictures floating across the screen) while Peter and Sora fly around hitting anything in their path.

Mickey's help

In certain boss battles, if Sora is knocked out, a second option may be available, called "I won't give up!" It allows you to play as Mickey Mouse. Mickey is fast and his attacks are brutal, and he can shoot beams of magic from his Keyblade. However, you must revive Sora to finish off the boss; this is done by pressing the triangle button repeatedly to fill up his Drive bar. This can also be done by constantly attacking the opponent. After the bar is full, pressing the triangle button will bring Sora back to life. If you lose as Mickey, Sora will be automatically revived.

Different command menus

A new feature is that each world has their own command menu, which are sometimes animated. For instance, Olympus Coliseum's design shows the image of the top of the Coliseum, and Port Royal's design is to show a ship's steering wheel and the Pirates of the Caribbean logo. If the player desires, the command menu's design can be changed to the original Kingdom Hearts design in the options menu. There are two different Command Menus; a normal one, used to access magic, items and attack, and another used for attack, drive and party.

Maps

It is optional to have a map in the top-right corner of the screen. In addition, mini-maps can be found in each world. On these maps, a small Kingdom Keyblade indicates Sora's location.

Disney cameos

In addition to the Disney characters that will be returning from Kingdom Hearts, there will also be additional characters from their movies including Megara, Pegasus, Pain, Panic and the Hydra from Hercules, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Wardrobe from Beauty and the Beast, the merchant from Aladdin, Eric from The Little Mermaid, and Santa Claus as depicted in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Stitch from Lilo & Stitch and the titular characters of Chicken Little and Peter Pan act as new summons. Characters from the previously unexplored worlds of Mulan, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tron and The Lion King also play parts in the game.

Yen Sid the sorcerer, Mickey's master in the movie Fantasia, makes an appearance, inhabiting a mysterious tower. Merlin returns and will be in Disney Castle and Hollow Bastion, revealing the existence of Timeless River to the heroes. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty give Sora his new outfit. Scrooge McDuck also makes an appearance.

Pete is also in the game as an ever-persistent enemy to Sora, Donald and Goofy, appearing in many worlds. He works with the resurrected Maleficent, who refuses to relent in her desire for power.

Final Fantasy cameos

Squall and Cloud in the Hollow Bastion world of Kingdom Hearts II.

Seventeen characters from the Final Fantasy series appear. Auron of Final Fantasy X will be Sora's partner in battle in Hercules' world. Yuna, Rikku and Paine from Final Fantasy X-2 appear as fairies at the Hollow Bastion. Younger versions of Seifer Almasy, Fujin (called "Fuu"), and Raijin (called "Rai") from Final Fantasy VIII appear in Twilight Town, as a "disciplinary committee".

Squall Leonhart (Leon) and Selphie Tilmitt of Final Fantasy VIII, and Cloud Strife and Yuffie Kisaragi as depicted in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children return as cameos in Hollow Bastion. Aerith Gainsborough also appears, albeit wearing a modified version of her Before Crisis clothing. Tifa Lockhart of Final Fantasy VII also makes her first cameo in the series, wearing her Advent Children attire. Cid Highwind also returns, but he is still wearing the same attire as in the previous game; he has a speaking role this time around as opposed to caption bubbles in Kingdom Hearts. Sephiroth, Cloud's ever-present enemy, comes along as well, battling Cloud.

The Moogles, featured in many different Final Fantasy titles, serve as shopkeepers in the world of Hollow Bastion.

It had been stated by Nomura that, although the first game strictly stuck to characters Nomura designed, this time around they were going to "take some risks", which implied that characters from the Final Fantasy games without involvement from Nomura could make an appearance. One of these was Vivi Ornitier of Final Fantasy IX, who appears in Twilight Town as a member in Seifer's group. Another non-Nomura character included is Setzer Gabbiani of Final Fantasy VI, as a challenger in Twilight Town.

Cloud Strife has his own side story, involving conflict with Sephiroth and his relationships with Tifa and Aerith.

Voice Cast

English language version (tentative)

  • Haley Joel Osment ... as Sora [2]
  • Tony Anselmo ... as Donald Duck
  • Bill Farmer ... as Goofy
  • David Gallagher ... as Riku [3]
  • Hayden Panettiere ... as Kairi [4]
  • Jesse McCartney ... as Roxas [5]
  • Wayne Allwine ... as Mickey Mouse
  • Christopher Lee ... as DiZ (Ansem) [6]
  • Billy Zane ... as Ansem (Xehanort)
  • Brittany Snow ... as Naminé [7]
  • Susan Blakeslee ... as Maleficent
  • Jim Cummings ... as Pete, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger
  • Eddie Carroll ... as Jiminy Cricket
  • David Boreanaz ... as Squall Leonhart (Leon)
  • Steve Burton ... as Cloud Strife [8]
  • Mena Suvari ... as Aerith Gainsborough [9]
  • Rachael Leigh Cook ... as Tifa Lockhart [10]
  • Matt McKenzie ... as Auron
  • Hedy Burress ... as Yuna [11]
  • Tara Strong ... as Rikku [12]
  • Gwendoline Yeo ... as Paine [13]
  • Sean Marquette .... as Pence[14]
  • Corey Burton ... as Yen Sid
  • Ming-Na .... as Mulan [15]
  • Mark Moseley ... as Mushu [16]
  • Miguel Ferrer .... as Shan Yu
  • Robby Benson ... as Beast
  • Sean Astin ... as Hercules
  • James Woods ... as Hades [17]
  • Scott Weinger ... as Aladdin [18]
  • Dan Castellaneta ... as Genie
  • Bruce Boxleitner ... as Tron
  • Zach Braff ... as Chicken Little [19]

Japanese language version

  • Miyu Irino ... as Sora
  • Koichi Yamadera ... as Donald Duck, Mushu, Beast, Sebastian, Genie, Stitch
  • Yutaka Shimaka ... as Goofy
  • Mamoru Miyano ... as Riku
  • Risa Uchida ... as Kairi
  • Koki Uchiyama ... as Roxas
  • Takashi Aoyagi ... as Mickey Mouse
  • Norio Wakamoto ... as Xemnas
  • Genzo Wakayama ... as DiZ (Ansem)
  • Akio Otsuka ... as Ansem (Xehanort)
  • Keiji Fujiwara ... as Axel
  • Iku Nakahara ... as Naminé
  • Ginpei Sato ... as Saix
  • Yousuke Akimoto ... as Xaldin
  • Kenichi Suzumura ... as Demyx
  • Jouji Nakata ... as Luxord
  • Hochu Otsuka ... as Xigbar
  • Toshiko Sawada ... as Maleficent
  • Toru Ohira ... as Pete, the Mayor
  • Kaneta Kimotsuki ... as Jiminy Cricket
  • Hideo Ishikawa ... as Leon, Auron
  • Takahiro Sakurai ... as Cloud
  • Maaya Sakamoto ... as Aerith
  • Yumi Kakazu ... as Yuffie
  • Kazuhiro Yamaji ... as Cid
  • Ayumi Ito ... as Tifa
  • Toshiyuki Morikawa ... as Sephiroth
  • Takehito Koyasu ... as Seifer
  • Rio Natsuki ... as Fuu
  • Kazuya Nakai ... as Rai
  • Ikue Otani ... as Vivi
  • Ryotaro Okiayu ... as Setzer
  • Mayuko Aoki ... as Selphie, Yuna
  • Marika Matsumoto ... as Rikku
  • Megumi Toyoguchi ... as Paine
  • Kazunori Sasaki ... as Hayner
  • Hayato Taya ... as Pence
  • Yuka Hirasawa ... as Olette
  • Takashi Inagaki ... as Yen Sid
  • Junichi Suwabe ... as Tournament announcer
  • Minoru Uchida ... as Merlin
  • Miyoko Aso ... as Flora
  • Hisako Kyouda ... as Fauna
  • Masako Nozawa ... as Merryweather
  • Mayumi Suzuki ... as Mulan, Ariel
  • Shintaro Sonooka ... as Captain Shang, Lock
  • Osamu Kobayashi ... as the Emperor
  • Hiroshi Fujioka ... as Shan Yu
  • Yutaka Oda ... as Yao
  • Ryusei Nakao ... as Ling
  • Kozo Shioya ... as Chien-Po
  • Eri Ito ... as Belle
  • Kazuo Kumakura ... as Cogsworth
  • Masashi Ebara ... as Lumiere
  • Kimiko Fukuda ... as Mrs. Potts
  • Takako Kondo ... as the Wardrobe
  • Yasunori Matsumoto ... as Hercules
  • Ichiro Nagai ... as Philoctetes
  • Rika Matsumoto ... as Megara
  • Kyusaku Shimada ... as Hades
  • Yuko Mizutani ... as Minnie Mouse
  • Mika Doi ... as Daisy Duck
  • Roko Takizawa ... as Chip
  • Minoru Inaba ... as Dale
  • Kujira ... as Ursula
  • Kazuhiko Inoue ... as Prince Eric
  • Taro Ishida ... as King Triton, Eeyore
  • Takuya Kaihoko ... as Flounder
  • Hiromi Maeda ... as Ariel's Sister #1
  • Shion Hino ... as Ariel's Sister #2
  • Hiroaki Hirata ... as Jack Sparrow
  • Daisuke Hirakawa ... as Will Turner
  • Saori Yumiba ... as Elizabeth Swann
  • Haruhiko Jo ... as Barbossa, Scar
  • Shinichiro Miki ... as Aladdin
  • Kaori Aso ... as Jasmine
  • Takashi Matsuo ... as the Merchant
  • Akira Takarada ... as Jafar
  • Toru Ohkawa ... as Iago
  • Masachika Ichimura ... as Jack Skellington
  • Yuko Doi ... as Sally, Shock
  • Yuji Mitsuya ... as Dr. Finklestein, Timon
  • Shigeo Matsuzawa ... as Barrel
  • Hiroshi Hatanaka ... as Oogie Boogie, Pumbaa
  • Tomoaki Nagae ... as Santa Claus
  • Mitsuru Miyamoto ... as Simba
  • Riko Hanamura ... as Nala
  • Shinya Owada ... as Mufasa
  • Ryuji Saikachi ... as Rafiki
  • Tomie Kataoka ... as Shenzi, Kanga
  • Ben Hiura ... as Banzai
  • Hiroshi Tsuchida ... as Tron
  • Tetsuo Kanao ... as Sark
  • Ikuya Sawaki ... as MCP
  • Sukekiyo Kameyama ... as Winnie the Pooh
  • Mitsuru Ogata ... as Piglet
  • Naoki Tatsuta ... as Rabbit
  • Toshiya Ueda ... as Owl
  • Tessho Genda ... as Tigger
  • Masaya Sugimoto ... as Roo
  • Mahito Tsujimura ... as Gopher
  • Yu Hayashi ... as Peter Pan
  • Keiko Yamamoto ... as Chicken Little


Music

  • An original soundtrack CD for Kingdom Hearts II, composed by Yoko Shimomura was released on January 25, 2006 and its catalogue number is TOCT-25871~2. See Kingdom Hearts II Original Soundtrack.
The cover of the soundtrack.
  • The theme songs to Kingdom Hearts II, Passion and Sanctuary (the English version of Passion) are performed by Utada Hikaru, and according to Tetsuya Nomura it ties in even more closely with the game's story than Hikari (Simple and Clean) did with Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
  • The CD single for Passion was released on December 14, 2005, with a price of ¥1,050 (roughly 8.78 USD).

The tracklist for the single is as follows:

  1. Passion ~single version~ (4:36)
  2. Passion ~after the battle~ (5:57)
  • Click here to listen to a 46 second sample of Passion.
  • Certain levels of gameplay are based on music and button coordination, such as the Atlantica world and the Stitch summon.

Trivia

  • A teaser for what appears to be a sequel or a spin-off can be seen if the player accomplishes certain tasks.
  • Characters from Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, such as Axel, DiZ, and Naminé, as well as allusions to deceased Organization members, such as Marluxia, make appearances in the game.
  • The notoriously harsh magazine Famitsu has given the game a score of 39/40; close to perfect. It is notable because only five games have been given perfect '40/40' scores. [20]
  • During its first week of availability in Japan, Kingdom Hearts II sold 727,591 copies. [21]
  • The name of the world "Space Paranoids" is a reference to one of the games that Kevin Flynn created in Tron.
  • The plot of Agrabah is loosely based on a direct-to-video movie, The Return of Jafar.
  • The release year of Mulan is erronously written as 1992 in Jiminy's Journal in the Japanese version.

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The tracklist for the single is as follows:. Mortal Kombat has multiple meanings.
. Mortal Kombat: Devastation is the third Mortal Kombat film, set to be released in 2006. Cloud Strife has his own side story, involving conflict with Sephiroth and his relationships with Tifa and Aerith. Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is the 1997 sequel to the first movie. Another non-Nomura character included is Setzer Gabbiani of Final Fantasy VI, as a challenger in Twilight Town. Mortal Kombat (film) is a 1995 film based on the Mortal Kombat video game series.

One of these was Vivi Ornitier of Final Fantasy IX, who appears in Twilight Town as a member in Seifer's group. Mortal Kombat: Special Forces. It had been stated by Nomura that, although the first game strictly stuck to characters Nomura designed, this time around they were going to "take some risks", which implied that characters from the Final Fantasy games without involvement from Nomura could make an appearance. Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero. The Moogles, featured in many different Final Fantasy titles, serve as shopkeepers in the world of Hollow Bastion. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (to be released in late 2006). Sephiroth, Cloud's ever-present enemy, comes along as well, battling Cloud. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks.

Cid Highwind also returns, but he is still wearing the same attire as in the previous game; he has a speaking role this time around as opposed to caption bubbles in Kingdom Hearts. Mortal Kombat: Deception. Tifa Lockhart of Final Fantasy VII also makes her first cameo in the series, wearing her Advent Children attire. Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition. Aerith Gainsborough also appears, albeit wearing a modified version of her Before Crisis clothing. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Squall Leonhart (Leon) and Selphie Tilmitt of Final Fantasy VIII, and Cloud Strife and Yuffie Kisaragi as depicted in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children return as cameos in Hollow Bastion. Mortal Kombat Advance.

Younger versions of Seifer Almasy, Fujin (called "Fuu"), and Raijin (called "Rai") from Final Fantasy VIII appear in Twilight Town, as a "disciplinary committee". Mortal Kombat Gold. Yuna, Rikku and Paine from Final Fantasy X-2 appear as fairies at the Hollow Bastion. Mortal Kombat 4. Auron of Final Fantasy X will be Sora's partner in battle in Hercules' world. Mortal Kombat Trilogy. Seventeen characters from the Final Fantasy series appear. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

He works with the resurrected Maleficent, who refuses to relent in her desire for power. Mortal Kombat 3. Pete is also in the game as an ever-persistent enemy to Sora, Donald and Goofy, appearing in many worlds. Mortal Kombat II. Scrooge McDuck also makes an appearance. Mortal Kombat (video game). Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty give Sora his new outfit. Mortal Kombat (series) is a series of fighting, beat'em up and platform video games:

    .

    Merlin returns and will be in Disney Castle and Hollow Bastion, revealing the existence of Timeless River to the heroes. Yen Sid the sorcerer, Mickey's master in the movie Fantasia, makes an appearance, inhabiting a mysterious tower. Characters from the previously unexplored worlds of Mulan, Pirates of the Caribbean, Tron and The Lion King also play parts in the game. Stitch from Lilo & Stitch and the titular characters of Chicken Little and Peter Pan act as new summons.

    Potts, Chip, and Wardrobe from Beauty and the Beast, the merchant from Aladdin, Eric from The Little Mermaid, and Santa Claus as depicted in The Nightmare Before Christmas. In addition to the Disney characters that will be returning from Kingdom Hearts, there will also be additional characters from their movies including Megara, Pegasus, Pain, Panic and the Hydra from Hercules, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. On these maps, a small Kingdom Keyblade indicates Sora's location. In addition, mini-maps can be found in each world.

    It is optional to have a map in the top-right corner of the screen. There are two different Command Menus; a normal one, used to access magic, items and attack, and another used for attack, drive and party. If the player desires, the command menu's design can be changed to the original Kingdom Hearts design in the options menu. For instance, Olympus Coliseum's design shows the image of the top of the Coliseum, and Port Royal's design is to show a ship's steering wheel and the Pirates of the Caribbean logo.

    A new feature is that each world has their own command menu, which are sometimes animated. If you lose as Mickey, Sora will be automatically revived. After the bar is full, pressing the triangle button will bring Sora back to life. This can also be done by constantly attacking the opponent.

    However, you must revive Sora to finish off the boss; this is done by pressing the triangle button repeatedly to fill up his Drive bar. Mickey is fast and his attacks are brutal, and he can shoot beams of magic from his Keyblade. In certain boss battles, if Sora is knocked out, a second option may be available, called "I won't give up!" It allows you to play as Mickey Mouse. There are four summons.

    Instead of the summoned character being limited to only one action, the summoned character now has a menu of his own to perform multiple actions, some solo actions and some cooperative actions with Sora. The character will replace the two computer-controlled characters and fight alongside Sora for as long as the drive meter holds out. Summoning however, uses the drive meter, so Sora can't drive and summon at the same time. Like the previous game, Sora can summon a particular character to aid him in battle when attaining each of their respective items.

    Reflect causes a large shield to form around Sora for a very short amount of time, then crack and send out sharp shards a limited distance. Magnet creates a sphere that slowly sucks in enemies. Two new abilities introduced to the game are Magnet and Reflect. Casting spells in different drive forms also offers another variety to the spell effects, mostly increasing their strength.

    Some spells have been replaced, other have differing effects. Sora's magic spells from Kingdom Hearts has been modified. Later in the game Sora will also be able to perform team attacks with Donald and Goofy individually in similar fashion. In the Olympus Coliseum world, for example, Sora has the option to perform a linked attack with Auron when battling enemies.

    A gameplay addition gives Sora a special linked attack with any of the guest characters, and the effect varies depending on the character teaming up with Sora. Reaction commands are often pivotal in defeating bosses as well. For example, a nobody might shoot a red bullet at you, but with a well timed reaction command, Sora will kick the bullet back at it. Reaction commands can also trigger counter moves as well.

    For example, against "Dusk" nobodies, your character will slide behind the normally evasive opponents and set you up for a combo. The reaction command, similar to the Resident Evil 4 real time reaction commands, is used during fights and can allow you to perform certain actions when timed correctly. Sora is also unable to use either items or magic, and both of the computer controlled partners will dissappear regardless of who Sora drives with. Unlike the other forms, when this form occurs it will cancel out Drive when entering a new area as opposed to staying in effect.

    While in this form, both partners disappear and Sora uses his "claws" for wide-range attacks that may be weak with individual attacks, but he also has a very high maximum combo count. Sora turns completely black like a shadow, walks on all fours, and has yellow eyes, similar to a basic Heartless. Anti Form is a bizarre form that is caused by taking too much damage while in Drive form, and then attempting to use the Drive command afterward. Wielding two Keyblades psychokinetically as well as the ability to fly incredibly fast, Sora wields incredible power in this form, dispatching enemies with ease and dealing increased physical and magical damage.

    When in Final Form, Sora will merge with both other party members and don silver and black clothing. The drawback to this form is that the drive meter will decrease quicker than the previous two drives. His clothes turn yellow and black, and he is able to glide very swiftly as well as perform a double jump. Two Keyblades can be wielded,one psychokinetically and the other is held normally.

    Sora's combo potential is increased, and his magic power is increased as well. Master Form, where Sora merges with both Donald and Goofy, combines the powers of the Brave and Wisdom forms. The other two forms have Sora combine with two of Donald, Goofy or another party member to attain greater power than in the other two forms. Wisdom Form replaces the attack command with shoot, which lets him shoot a blue magic bullet from the tip of the Keyblade in rapid fire if pressed continuously making Wisdom Form a long distance specialized form.

    Sora gains a massive magic attack boost, and hovers across the floor never touching the ground, instead of running giving him superior movement control. The other, Wisdom Form, is where Sora merges with Donald for this form, and he dons blue and black clothes. Sora also runs twice as fast in this form. Sora wields two Keyblades which doubles his combo potential dramatically and also gives him additional attacks.

    Although he cannot use magic in this form, Sora gains a massive boost to his physical ability. One is Brave Form, where Sora merges with Goofy, and dons red and black clothes. The first two forms have Sora merge with one of his permanent party members, Donald or Goofy. There are five drive forms in all.

    Three out of the five forms allow Sora to use two Keyblades instead of one, and the second keyblade may be equipped in the items menu for this purpose. Sora can "fuse" with either Donald or Goofy to become more powerful and acquire different attributes as well. Gameplay is revamped from the last game; there are various new features offering the potential of more interesting play. As in the first Kingdom Hearts game, the player can access different worlds with themes based mostly on Disney films.

    As the game progresses, Sora learns how much he and Roxas have in common. Sora continues his quest, sealing the keyholes of each world to protect them from the Heartless, as well as facing Axel and the remaining members of the mysterious Organization XIII. Gaining new clothes and powers, Sora began his journey anew, unaware of the events that have taken place in Chain of Memories. When Sora awakens, he eventually arrives in Twilight Town, the place where a mysterious boy, Roxas, who can use dual Keyblades, lived before he left suddenly.

    Sora and his companions have been asleep for about a year, regaining their memories. Kingdom Hearts II begins where Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories left off. . The in-game music is composed by Yoko Shimomura, who composed the music for the first game, and the theme song Passion (Sanctuary for the international release) is written and performed by Japanese pop music star Utada Hikaru.

    The English version will be released on March 28, 2006 in North America [1], followed by European and Australian releases later in the year. Developed by Square Enix, Kingdom Hearts II was released in Japan on December 22, 2005. Directed by Tetsuya Nomura, the game continues Sora's adventures in finding King Mickey and Riku with the help of a large cast of Disney characters including Donald, Goofy, Jack Sparrow, Tron, Aladdin, the Beast and more. Kingdom Hearts II is an RPG video game sequel to the 2002 Disney/Square RPG Kingdom Hearts, though it is actually the third installment in the series.

    The release year of Mulan is erronously written as 1992 in Jiminy's Journal in the Japanese version. The plot of Agrabah is loosely based on a direct-to-video movie, The Return of Jafar. The name of the world "Space Paranoids" is a reference to one of the games that Kevin Flynn created in Tron. [21].

    During its first week of availability in Japan, Kingdom Hearts II sold 727,591 copies. [20]. It is notable because only five games have been given perfect '40/40' scores. The notoriously harsh magazine Famitsu has given the game a score of 39/40; close to perfect.

    Characters from Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, such as Axel, DiZ, and Naminé, as well as allusions to deceased Organization members, such as Marluxia, make appearances in the game. A teaser for what appears to be a sequel or a spin-off can be seen if the player accomplishes certain tasks. Certain levels of gameplay are based on music and button coordination, such as the Atlantica world and the Stitch summon. Click here to listen to a 46 second sample of Passion.

    Passion ~after the battle~ (5:57). Passion ~single version~ (4:36). The CD single for Passion was released on December 14, 2005, with a price of ¥1,050 (roughly 8.78 USD). The theme songs to Kingdom Hearts II, Passion and Sanctuary (the English version of Passion) are performed by Utada Hikaru, and according to Tetsuya Nomura it ties in even more closely with the game's story than Hikari (Simple and Clean) did with Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.

    See Kingdom Hearts II Original Soundtrack. An original soundtrack CD for Kingdom Hearts II, composed by Yoko Shimomura was released on January 25, 2006 and its catalogue number is TOCT-25871~2. as Chicken Little. Keiko Yamamoto ..

    as Peter Pan. Yu Hayashi .. as Gopher. Mahito Tsujimura ..

    as Roo. Masaya Sugimoto .. as Tigger. Tessho Genda ..

    as Owl. Toshiya Ueda .. as Rabbit. Naoki Tatsuta ..

    as Piglet. Mitsuru Ogata .. as Winnie the Pooh. Sukekiyo Kameyama ..

    as MCP. Ikuya Sawaki .. as Sark. Tetsuo Kanao ..

    as Tron. Hiroshi Tsuchida .. as Banzai. Ben Hiura ..

    as Shenzi, Kanga. Tomie Kataoka .. as Rafiki. Ryuji Saikachi ..

    as Mufasa. Shinya Owada .. as Nala. Riko Hanamura ..

    as Simba. Mitsuru Miyamoto .. as Santa Claus. Tomoaki Nagae ..

    as Oogie Boogie, Pumbaa. Hiroshi Hatanaka .. as Barrel. Shigeo Matsuzawa ..

    Finklestein, Timon. as Dr. Yuji Mitsuya .. as Sally, Shock.

    Yuko Doi .. as Jack Skellington. Masachika Ichimura .. as Iago.

    Toru Ohkawa .. as Jafar. Akira Takarada .. as the Merchant.

    Takashi Matsuo .. as Jasmine. Kaori Aso .. as Aladdin.

    Shinichiro Miki .. as Barbossa, Scar. Haruhiko Jo .. as Elizabeth Swann.

    Saori Yumiba .. as Will Turner. Daisuke Hirakawa .. as Jack Sparrow.

    Hiroaki Hirata .. as Ariel's Sister #2. Shion Hino .. as Ariel's Sister #1.

    Hiromi Maeda .. as Flounder. Takuya Kaihoko .. as King Triton, Eeyore.

    Taro Ishida .. as Prince Eric. Kazuhiko Inoue .. as Ursula.

    Kujira .. as Dale. Minoru Inaba .. as Chip.

    Roko Takizawa .. as Daisy Duck. Mika Doi .. as Minnie Mouse.

    Yuko Mizutani .. as Hades. Kyusaku Shimada .. as Megara.

    Rika Matsumoto .. as Philoctetes. Ichiro Nagai .. as Hercules.

    Yasunori Matsumoto .. as the Wardrobe. Takako Kondo .. Potts.

    as Mrs. Kimiko Fukuda .. as Lumiere. Masashi Ebara ..

    as Cogsworth. Kazuo Kumakura .. as Belle. Eri Ito ..

    as Chien-Po. Kozo Shioya .. as Ling. Ryusei Nakao ..

    as Yao. Yutaka Oda .. as Shan Yu. Hiroshi Fujioka ..

    as the Emperor. Osamu Kobayashi .. as Captain Shang, Lock. Shintaro Sonooka ..

    as Mulan, Ariel. Mayumi Suzuki .. as Merryweather. Masako Nozawa ..

    as Fauna. Hisako Kyouda .. as Flora. Miyoko Aso ..

    as Merlin. Minoru Uchida .. as Tournament announcer. Junichi Suwabe ..

    as Yen Sid. Takashi Inagaki .. as Olette. Yuka Hirasawa ..

    as Pence. Hayato Taya .. as Hayner. Kazunori Sasaki ..

    as Paine. Megumi Toyoguchi .. as Rikku. Marika Matsumoto ..

    as Selphie, Yuna. Mayuko Aoki .. as Setzer. Ryotaro Okiayu ..

    as Vivi. Ikue Otani .. as Rai. Kazuya Nakai ..

    as Fuu. Rio Natsuki .. as Seifer. Takehito Koyasu ..

    as Sephiroth. Toshiyuki Morikawa .. as Tifa. Ayumi Ito ..

    as Cid. Kazuhiro Yamaji .. as Yuffie. Yumi Kakazu ..

    as Aerith. Maaya Sakamoto .. as Cloud. Takahiro Sakurai ..

    as Leon, Auron. Hideo Ishikawa .. as Jiminy Cricket. Kaneta Kimotsuki ..

    as Pete, the Mayor. Toru Ohira .. as Maleficent. Toshiko Sawada ..

    as Xigbar. Hochu Otsuka .. as Luxord. Jouji Nakata ..

    as Demyx. Kenichi Suzumura .. as Xaldin. Yousuke Akimoto ..

    as Saix. Ginpei Sato .. as Naminé. Iku Nakahara ..

    as Axel. Keiji Fujiwara .. as Ansem (Xehanort). Akio Otsuka ..

    as DiZ (Ansem). Genzo Wakayama .. as Xemnas. Norio Wakamoto ..

    as Mickey Mouse. Takashi Aoyagi .. as Roxas. Koki Uchiyama ..

    as Kairi. Risa Uchida .. as Riku. Mamoru Miyano ..

    as Goofy. Yutaka Shimaka .. as Donald Duck, Mushu, Beast, Sebastian, Genie, Stitch. Koichi Yamadera ..

    as Sora. Miyu Irino .. as Chicken Little [19]. Zach Braff ..

    as Tron. Bruce Boxleitner .. as Genie. Dan Castellaneta ..

    as Aladdin [18]. Scott Weinger .. as Hades [17]. James Woods ..

    as Hercules. Sean Astin .. as Beast. Robby Benson ..

    as Shan Yu. Miguel Ferrer ... as Mushu [16]. Mark Moseley ..

    as Mulan [15]. Ming-Na ... as Yen Sid. Corey Burton ..

    as Pence[14]. Sean Marquette ... as Paine [13]. Gwendoline Yeo ..

    as Rikku [12]. Tara Strong .. as Yuna [11]. Hedy Burress ..

    as Auron. Matt McKenzie .. as Tifa Lockhart [10]. Rachael Leigh Cook ..

    as Aerith Gainsborough [9]. Mena Suvari .. as Cloud Strife [8]. Steve Burton ..

    as Squall Leonhart (Leon). David Boreanaz .. as Jiminy Cricket. Eddie Carroll ..

    as Pete, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger. Jim Cummings .. as Maleficent. Susan Blakeslee ..

    as Naminé [7]. Brittany Snow .. as Ansem (Xehanort). Billy Zane ..

    as DiZ (Ansem) [6]. Christopher Lee .. as Mickey Mouse. Wayne Allwine ..

    as Roxas [5]. Jesse McCartney .. as Kairi [4]. Hayden Panettiere ..

    as Riku [3]. David Gallagher .. as Goofy. Bill Farmer ..

    as Donald Duck. Tony Anselmo .. as Sora [2]. Haley Joel Osment ..

    His team attack with Sora is somewhat cinematic, as Sora will be reminded of his adventures in Neverland in the first game (with pictures floating across the screen) while Peter and Sora fly around hitting anything in their path. Tinkerbell heals Sora constantly at the same time. Peter comes with Tinker Bell, and flies around attacking much like he did in the first Kingdom Hearts when he was a temporary party member. Peter Pan is the boy who never grows up and the titular character of Peter Pan.

    His team attack with Sora is a ukelele jam session where different buttons can be pressed to prompt different musical attacks for big damage. He will actually climb around the menu screens as well as the screen itself (as if he were on the surface of your screen), and do various things while shooting the enemies with his plasma gun somewhat nonchalantly. When summoned, Stitch is somewhat unique. Stitch is the cute but destructive anti hero of Lilo & Stitch.

    Depending on the form he is in, Genie will be able to perform an enormously damaging move. The drive form to mimick must be unlocked first. Genie attacks with a humorous recreation of Sora's keyblade, and has a command to mimick any one of Sora's drive forms. Genie is the blue genie in a lamp who helps the titular character of Aladdin.

    His attack with Sora, "FPS", is, as suggested, a First Person Shooter-like mode where Chicken can throw baseballs in rapid fire from a first person view. Chicken when summoned, chucks baseballs at enemies when on his own. Chicken Little is the titular character of Chicken Little. The World That Never Was.

    Disney Castle. Hollow Bastion. Destiny Islands (Unplayable). Twilight Town.

    Space Paranoids, from Tron (1982). Pride Land, from The Lion King (1994). Halloween Town, from The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Agrabah, from Aladdin (1992).

    Port Royal, from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). Atlantica, from The Little Mermaid (1989). 100 Acre Wood, from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977). Timeless River, from Steamboat Willie (1928).

    Olympus Coliseum, from Hercules (1997). Beast's Castle, from Beauty and the Beast (1991). The Land of Dragons, from Mulan (1998).