Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep - Sony PSP

A great prequel to the series. At first I thought the series was kind of lame in terms of story, although the game play was fun. After extensively playing birth by sleep, I felt like the story is very in depth and the characters and their relationships (including KH 1 and 2) are fun to watch unfold. I always thought the idea of their hearts were lame and childish but now I can see a deeper meaning and how it relates more to the overall story. Maybe its my own meaning I put onto the game but nevertheless I enjoy and cant wait until the next release to fill in the pieces.

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is probably one of the most high quality titles on the PSP to date. I write with the Vita already launched so its probably mute at this point that this is a great buy. To those who are familiar with the series this instalment meets all expectations that the brand Kingdom Hearts is known for. To those who are not, this is still a great pick-up no matter what. This game follows three keyblade wielders and their individual experiences throughout the timeline of events surrounding the game. This is perhaps the neatest touch to a KH game since 358 days over 2 concept of playing within the organization (for those of you who dont know they are the main villains from KH II). Ill break down this into many parts so please bear with me. Graphics: Probably the God of War titles and the Dissidia games beat out this game for me here, but this is really close with them. It looks just like KH from the PS2 and it was a great surprise to see that this game be as good looking as it was. (One reason why I favor Sony over Nintendo in the handheld market) Every visual you can think of was well put together and had great detail. (5/5) Environments: Like all KH games, this chapter has many different worlds. Most of them are new, focusing on the princesses from KH I that you dont really interact with (Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora) and two worlds that get a proper intro. Im talking about the REAL Neverland with the actual island and lost boys (Not a pirate ship and Big Ben KH I fans), and stitch gets his own location with the space ship with the characters from the movie (Except Lilo, but thats actually a good thing, personally). Radiant Garden, however, is my favorite due to the locations you dont see in KH II. These are all great areas that are worth being in. (5/5) Characters: Im pretty sure that there are those like me who saw the cover and said Hey theres Mickey and Roxas! (KH II) but who are the others? WELP guess what? not Roxas. Thats Ventus with Aqua and Terra. With all kinds of characters, the big surprises were seeing 2 different Soras, Kairi, and Riku. You also get to see Xeanorht (I know thats not how you spell it but I tried by sounding it out.) but hes not who you think. He looks COMPLETELY different form KH II and probably the single best thing about him is that he is voiced by Leonard Nimoy! Thats right! Mr Spock from Star Trek. Master Eraqus (I hope thats how its spelled) is my favorite because he is kind of like Yoda from Star Wars. Each character is well voiced and designed with awesome personalities. You will consistently see characters from games past here. Im not spoiling it but you might want to pay attention to Radiant Garden when your there. (5/5) Gameplay: Movement, fighting, and other nuances are all there. The analog stick is actually of some use here as it did not feel that in the way for me while I was playing. The only negative about this game falls here, and thats the dice board. Its a great way to level up your attacks, but it is really time consuming. In the end it was worth it for me to have powerful attacks by the end of each storyline, but I probably spent half my time on the dice board. Its fun, but it wears off after a while. Otherwise, everything else is very polished and has great control. (4/5) Story: OK, Now the big kicker. Im someone who loves to play games in a series chronologically (Except Final Fantasy where they are not related in universe [I dont count Dissidia]) so this is probably the first game you should play since its set before where it all supposedly began in KH I. As I said, the multiple points of view was the best touch as a story mechanic. With that being said, Im not that big on how it turned out but it answers a LOT of questions from throughout the timeline. 1.) Where did Xeanorht come from? 2.) How did Sora, Riku, and Kairi became wielders of the keyblade? 3.) What is the meaning of the secret movie at the end of KH II? However, 4 really interesting questions that got answered floored me: 1.) In 358 days over 2, near the end, a cutscene involving Xigbar, Axel, and Xion takes place on Wonderland. What did Xigbars statement mean? 2.) How did Castle Oblivion come to be in Chain of Memories? 3.) At the end of the game in the single last cutscene, how do the three come together? 4.) The origin of the organizations founders. This is what had me ending this game with a smile on my face and a sense of satisfaction. Great story told only the way a KH game can, with a vast array of plot twists. (5/5) Pros: + Great Story + Memorable Characters + Awesome Worlds + Answers series long questions Con: - Dice board can take some of the fun away. In summary if you dont have it: BUY IT. If you want somewhere to start the series: BUY IT. If your looking for just a casual PSP Game: BUY IT and you will possibly find yourself caught up in the series as a whole. (9/10)

I have been following the series since KH1, and this is a great addition to the series. Product came extremely fast. I had trouble originally because from the other seller I have trying to get this game from. Bought this game for a friend who is catching up on the series. So far she is loving it!

I just got this game today, and I have been playinv it ever since! It was in PERFECT condition, I would highly recomend it. Words cannot describe how happy I am with this product, I mean there is..But Im so excited I cant even think

This game was a no brainer. My kids (especially my daughter) love the KH games. DS game sucked according to them. Basically bought the PSP for this game for them to play. Well see

I didnt get to play much of the game before my brother snatched it from me. And he has had a blast. Both of us didnt start gaming until about 6 months ago, so for him to stay with one game and actually progress at a steady pace is really good. He enjoys it a lot, its easy to learn, and its really fun.

Another great game from the Kingdom Hearts series. The graphics were gorgeous and controls were pretty easy to use. Only complaint is the lock on function and switching it to different enemies. Was a bit hard to work that and I would lock onto a crate/barrel over enemies sometimes. One of the better handheld KH games.

I have never played a Kingdom Hearts game, as I do not own a PS2, backwards compatible PS3, or NDS. However, when I saw this game was coming out I was captivated. I purchased it recently, and am playing it now. I love the story telling, and the ability to play through the game as each of the three main characters (each with their own storyline). The concept of an RPG with Disney characters is genius. The gameplay is simple and the boss battles are enjoyable. I love the way that each boss is representative of its respective world/disney story/universe. The game is challenging, yet ultimately very worthwhile.

Wow so glad i finally got around to playing this. Yea i know im late , but oh well. Everything about it was just fun & flawless. Of course its Kingdom Hearts so i knew itd be good. A lot of people didnt consider it because its what happened before. Yea you dont get to play as Sora or anything , but playing as Ventus,Aqua,and Terra is amazing. You really start to like them and forget all about missing the other characters. It explains so much as well. Basically not playing this game is missing out. :)

Its like playing the original Kingdom Hearts 1 or 2 on the PSP. That is when it comes to the graphics. Story-wise, it is much different. You play through the stories of three new characters and travel through the same worlds as in previous games. It is a lot of fun and a must have for any PSP owner.