KINGDOM HEARTS: Pockets of Dreams -Final ReMIX-
Welcome to the -Final ReMIX- of the KINGDOM HEARTS: Pocket of Dreams Collection! This is your one stop dive into the wild, emotional and confusing world of Kingdom Hearts on Nintendo handhelds, we're talking Chain of Memories, 358/2 Days, Re:Coded and Dream Drop Distance. Oh, and if you’re a purist who craves that sweet Japanese voice acting? Good news, undub patches exist for most of these, so you can experience them in their original glory. Now let’s break 'em down, see what worked, what didn't, and why they still matter.
KINGDOM HEARTS: Pocket of Dreams -Final ReMIX- Collection
Chain of Memories
This one’s the OG handheld KH experience, starting as a Game Boy Advance game before getting a 3D glow up in Re:Chain of Memories. The big twist? Card based combat. Love it or hate it, this system forces you to think strategically instead of button mashing. The story picks up right after the first game, with Sora, Donald and Goofy stumbling into Castle Oblivion, where memories are both weapon and weakness. The Organization XIII intro here is awesome and there's an emotional gut punch about Sora that hits hard. The downside? Grinding for good cards can be tedious and some boss fights feel like RNG hell. Still, it’s a crucial bridge to KH2 actually.
358/2 Days
Here you play as Roxas during his time in Organization XIII, this one’s a tragic friendship story wrapped in mission based gameplay. The story is peak KH melodrama: Roxas, Axel, and Xion’s bond is beautifully painful and the ending still stings. Gameplay-wise, the panel system for leveling is creative but the mission structure can get repetitive fast. The multiplayer mode is a fun distraction tho and Xion’s theme slaps.
Re:Coded
Re:Coded often gets dismissed as filler and yeah… it kinda is. The plot’s a virtual rehash of KH1 with Data-Sora uncovering hidden messages in Jiminy’s journal. But gameplay-wise? Surprisingly fun! The chip based skill system and genre switching levels keeps things fresh. The ending’s cryptic teaser about «hurt hearts» set up Dream Drop Distance but Re:Coded feels like a tech demo with a KH skin, maybe because it's a remake of an old mobile game, I guess. Not essential, but not as bad as some claim.
Dream Drop Distance
The big one, 3D is the handheld Kingdom Hearts with console ambitions. Introducing the Flowmotion combat system (wall running, aerial combos, pure chaos) and the Drop mechanic (switching between Sora and Riku mid gameplay) it's bold but divisive. The story? A whirlwind of time travel, Dream Eaters and another Xehanort. It’s convoluted even for KH but Riku’s character growth shines and the soundtrack is a banger. The Dream Eater system is cute but shallow. Still, DDD set the stage for KH3, for better or worse.
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