Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded Exists

It's not an April Fool's joke, but it might as well be.
Cyberman65: / cyberman65
Patreon: / kingdomklannad
Twitter: / kingklonoa
Twitch: / thekingklonoa
Last Life: last-life.net/
Script:
docs.google.co...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#KingdomHearts #ReCoded #KingK
Kingdom Hearts Recoded ReCoded Re:Coded Review Critique Retrospective KingK

[@KingKlonoa]

THEY PUT BUGS IN HIM!!!

[@DoctorTricky_]

Who's to say if it's even safe inside Riku?

[@alexclarke4110]

"What?"

[@ForrestFox626]

Ever time I listen to someone recap Kingdom Hearts stories, I want to slap Nomura upside the head.

[@r.w.9631]

I'm so sorry

[@masterluxu1]

You’re an amazing speaker, please keep the content coming. I’ll keep sharing it.

[@Jordan3DS]

"Nomura was drunk one night" sounds like the pretext for how all of his projects were created

[@pascalsimioli6777]

"Nomura was drunk one night" is what I suddenly think everytime something dumb happens in this franchise.

[@Dreq458]

"nomura was sad-drunk the night vs13 was taken from him. so, he rewrote his plot, made knockoff characters and forced them into KH's narrative"

[@Noah-dp1ul]

Dreq the Dreck lmaoooooooo i’m glad people are seeing this

[@Hip-Gnosis1134]

@@Dreq458 *nu uh!* 😠 ................................... that’s totally what happened 😂

[@theheavenlyfb4071]

I love that this is the one game that we know for a fact he was drunk when he came up with it, if this is one example we can prove just image the ones that we can't but definitely were drunk ideas.

[@ryanwelch1272]

Why does releasing a Re: Coded retrospective on April Fool’s day make too much sense?

[@aturchomicz821]

no it doesnt

[@ryanstiles3364]

Add the that it’s during the purgatory of quarantine much like this game is the purgatory of the series story and it’s a conspiracy.

[@quetzalcueyat]

I had to Google

[@eazybuxafew]

Is this a joke 😭😂😭

[@mac_sour]

@Grima the Fell Dragon which is funny because everyone I've talked to has praised the gameplay (NOT the story) as one of the best handheld games, and honestly I've only rented it at my local video game store, but the few hours I've played it was fun as fuck, I like the FF10-like progression system and it's one of the best implimentations of the command deck. Abilities are cool too. A bit repetitive though

[@HxH2011DRA]

"I drifted off somewhere in Alice in Wonderland" Literally cannot get more ironic

[@joshshrum2764]

I haven’t even played much of it, it was that boring.

[@lautaroyin]

@@joshshrum2764 i think he reffers to the fact that alice goes to wonderland just in a dream in the original movie

[@sammowastaken]

I've never liked Wonderland so of course it ended up in the DS games. (and actually some of the new areas were all right)

[@c_djt]

coincidental* i think

[@HybridAngelZero]

I know this game is the definition of filler in the series, but the gameplay and especially the customization options keep me wanting to come back and try every single new thing that's available. I always have a ton of fun with this game, but I can also understand people dismissing it. I love Kingdom Hearts for both story and gameplay, but if someone is more in it for the story, then I can see Re: coded not having much to offer them

[@cadr003]

I agree. Re:Coded are for the fans who are interested in a new different gamplay within the KH franchise.

[@varkster6860]

Playing Kingdom Hearts for the story in the first place is a mistake.

[@HybridAngelZero]

@@varkster6860 I will politely disagree, I really enjoy the story in the games

[@varkster6860]

@@HybridAngelZero Playing a game for the story and enjoying the story in said game are two very different things.

[@HybridAngelZero]

@@varkster6860 That's fair

[@VermilionRen]

I've always seen the DS games for Kingdom Hearts as direct opposites. Days: great story, eh gameplay Re:Coded: eh story, great gameplay

[@JackkChaos]

“surely we’ve learned from our mistakes and can’t mess this up any more!” Dream Drop Distance: shit story, decent gameplay

[@lpfan4491]

kh3:yeet until remind gives it good gameplay

[@JackkChaos]

LPFan 😂😂 i was very happy with base kh3’s combat but yeah remind update was life changing, miles better

[@paledrake]

@@JackkChaos Wait, remind updated the gameplay of KH3? In what way?

[@PhantomkevX]

@@paledrake Did you not play Remind?

[@SerinitySack]

Re: Coded being reduced to just cutscenes is a god damn shame because its best aspect was absolutely the gameplay.

[@thetricondon]

For me, the only real significant story element that comes from Re:Coded is when Data-Sora's Data-Keyblade is shattered, and he soon forms a new one. Why is this significant, you ask? Because Data-Sora isn't real. He's an artificial being, created without a heart, from the memories stored in the journal; in a sense, a Puppet-Nobody identical to Xion. His Keyblade is similarly fake, which is why Malificent is able to destroy it easily. When Data-Sora forges a new Keyblade, it's a subtle hint that this artificial being has formed a REAL heart, which foreshadows the big reveal at the end of Dream Drop Distance. Now, I'll grant this is hardly enough to justify the story or the game's existence.

[@trisfairy]

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[@Ayurai]

Just to know, foreshadows what in dream drop distance? anyway, i think this idea just fortified the idea in kingdom hearts than anything can have a heart while it connects with something.

[@Yurikon3]

The unliving thing getting the heart is interesting but it is kinda shame that the series doesn't seem to do much with that idea except excuse same character model used for retellings.

[@luigiq2861]

@@Ayurai it foreshadows that nobodies (similar in the way they lack hearts) had the potential to grow their own hearts. It was another hint towards that twist.

[@AndrejZzzz]

Im pretty sure that maleficent also mentions the book of prophecies in this game so I guess that's also kinda important? Not much besides that though

[@jbcatz5]

The whole point of the “hurt” is that Sora contains within him the means to restore a number of lost people, however doing so comes at immense cost. By testing Data Sora and his capability to deal with this kind of pain it’s Data Namine making sure the outside world (note that a Mickey never refers to it as the real world) Sora also can handle the cost. The movie especially highlights that the origins of an individual don’t dictate their lot in life. Much like how Roxas had angst over the fact that as a Nobody he wasn’t meant to exist, there are people who feel that he does have the right to his own existence. Data Sora grew a heart and from that obtained his own proper Keyblade. Mickey, Donald and Goofy never see him as a copy of Sora, indeed Goofy enjoys it because they get to become friends all over again.This is very important foreshadowing for later games. The way Mickey, Donald and Goofy treat Data Sora and Data Riku is great contrast to how the protagonists treat the Nobodies in the Organisation in Kingdom Hearts 2. They’re utterly dehumanised, despite being fully thinking sentient people and Sora thinks nothing of cutting them down like he does with regular Heartless or even the clearly evil Ansem Seeker of Darkness. They have personalities that make them different, like Vexen being more interested in his experiments, Demyx clearly isn’t self-motivated until a certain point and Axel desires reunion with Roxas against odds like amnesia and alternate identity.

[@BasicXrazor]

I'd like a moment to bring this up, because I feel like a lot of fans forget that this is a thing and I feel like I need to say this: A lot of people pointed out Sora's kind of a jerk in kh2 because he treats Organization 13 like dirt even though they're technically people because they're technically people and they're capable of expressing emotion. So the idea of Sora being apathetic to them is unfair and makes Sora comes off as this really rude person. And you might be right that he is a jerk for dehumanizing them. But here's the thing: let's pretend that the events of kh:reCoM were a thing in kh2- Like he still retains memories of Castle Oblivion and everything that happened in it. By the time he meets Yen Sid and he informs of OrganizationXIII he finally gets to know names of the mysterious robed people he's met, and I would impose that first impressions are super important, because what his impression upon meeting some of them in castle Oblivion? -One of them manipulates a girl into tampering with Sora's memories (even if she doesn't want to) in an attempt to make him an obedient weapon as part of their plan to stage a coup against their leader and threatens to destroy the girl if Sora doesn't comply. -Another one makes an EXACT duplicate of his best friend who is nearly indistinguishable to the original: which not only does the duplicate turn hostile to him when they meet, but ends up accepting the darkness, making Sora feel like he failed to stop Riku from accepting the darkness, while simultaneously is forced to fight his best friend again over Namine (Only this time it appears he's not under influence of Ansem and it is of his own volition making the fight much more intense) -Another one viciously torments and mocks him at every opportunity, being the one break it to him that said girl and his best friend are really fake people, and that his memories (which he feels are genuine things at the time) are also a product of their machinations. -Another one coldly kills another one of their members in cold blood right in front of Sora, for the surface motive of talking too much and shutting him up for good to prevent Sora from knowing too much about their plans, EVEN when said member was begging for his life before being killed. With that being said, I can't help but feel they kind of dropped the ball with that ending for CoM, because Sora had a justifiable hostility towards Org13, they just didn't want to make CoM canon at the time. tl:dr while Sora being cruel towards Org13's members seems unwanted and comes off as, for lack of a better world, racist, I wanted to push that he technically does have a justifiable reason for his genuine dislike for Org13 and that's because of how the other member treated him back in Castle Oblivion. It's just that for some reason, the devs chose not make chain of memories canon at the time, most likely back when they thought the hand held games didn't need to have important story related stuff in their game, before they realized that was bad, and now all handheld and non-numerical entry games are important and now canon.

[@jbcatz5]

Kagata It’s justified in the context of the game, but in hindsight given what we learn about Nobodies and the individuals in the Organisation it seems crueller. Even just the idea that Nobodies grow hearts to replace the ones they lost makes them more tragic, since that was the hook Xemnas gave them for joining up in the first place. At this point Axel is the most fleshed out character besides Roxas in the Organisation, being more of a wild card in Castle Oblivion (pun unintended) and spending KH2 following his own agenda. Rescuing Roxas from the simulation isn’t just a mission for Axel, he’s got emotional investment and is legitimately upset and disappointed when Roxas doesn’t have full recollection of Axel and the Organisation.

[@pascalsimioli6777]

I commend your passion for the franchise! Unfortunately I feel, no I know you're reading way too much into this and that's not fair to yourself since you're putting way more effort into writing a good story than the people that sold you the game.

[@meteornome2556]

@@BasicXrazor To add on, Sora did have Roxas inside him all throughout KH2 and Roxas lingering resentment towards the Organization may been influencing his behavior. DiZ even says it before Sora awakens. _"You should share some of that hatred with Sora, he's far too nice for his own good"_ I'd like to imagine that Sora's open hostility towards the Organization might have in part been Roxas doing.

[@pichu1219]

@@meteornome2556 In what way do you think he influenced Sora though? Sora always told the ORG they weren't real because they're nobodies, but Roxas is a nobody. So are you saying that after Roxas' acceptance he just saw every nobody as nothing, like him? (At least until he had the final talk with Namine) Or are you saying Roxas just disliked the ORG and Sora just rationalized disliking them as "Well it's because they're unnatural." Since he didn't know about Roxas.

[@mageoflife2855]

Honestly I am hoping that Data Sora becomes an important character just so that I can cackle at the actual debauchery of lore that is Kingdom Hearts

[@j19aiden91]

"What did you want to tell us" Namine: "it was just a prank" -just a pancake

[@MadMalManny]

Ok I Believe You

[@the_echoYT]

It's nice that you had good things to say about Re:coded's gameplay, because it really doesn't get the praise it deserves. But I cannot stress how tired I am of *everyone* treating it like the red-headed stepchild because the story isn't important enough. Like, all the cool and fun gameplay doesn't matter because there isn't a huge series-changing plot twist at the end. Like Data-Sora's journey is for some reason less valid because he's not the "real" Sora. I just wish people would let this game be what it is, instead of maligning it for not being something else. It's a great game with a lot of offer, if you let it.

[@scarecrowvikingstar8361]

The_Echo This is what I mean. I love this game, and I get badgered about it. It’s my first game in the series, so I have a soft spot for it. The gameplay is top notch for a DS game, so being the one that is hated the most for not being lore heavy enough is just wrong. It’s like a nice refreshing break from the lore chaos that is KH.

[@KingKlonoa]

It should be noted that I let the game "be what it is" and what it is... well, it's not for me, and it's not for a lot of people. Instead of wondering why so many people dislike it, I think it'd be more productive and more interesting if a fan of it (such as yourself) were to defend it. You've clearly taken something away from it that I simply couldn't, and that's a valuable perspective I'd be interested in hearing.

[@the_echoYT]

@@KingKlonoa Well the problem is I don't think it needs defending. It's a great game with fun, satisfying combat, unprecedented customization for the franchise, plenty of postgame and optional content to sink your teeth into, and in my opinion a story that is actually pretty good. But everyone dismisses the game out of hand, and many do not even bother to play it for themselves (or even just watch the 2.5 version) because it's "the one that doesn't matter." I think that's a really shitty attitude to have. It does a disservice to the game itself and to the players who wind up missing out on something fun, which is kind of the point of video games. You clearly recognized the merits of its gameplay and systems, but you let your disinterest in the story sour the entire experience for you. I get being a story-first player, but even so I don't understand it.

[@CarlyDayDay]

April Fools?

[@natedogmarik2554]

@@the_echoYT dude the game sucked. It was a better gameplay version of days mixed with some bbs in there, but other than that its a trash handheld made for kids who didn't play kh1 cause they werent born yet. Those who played the kh1 and other parts of the series know recoded is just another wanna be kh1 that clarifies a tiny thing in the main story that didn't need to be clarified. Basically, without recoded the series wouldn't be better or worse. Its literally a side game of the series

[@JeanneDGames]

According to Nomura, the points of Re:Coded were: A) Field Test the hypothetical of Sora being ready for the "Hurt". Pretty much exactly as you broke it down in the video is exactly how it was on that front. B) Introduce concepts that would be important later in the series, particularly in regards to Maleficent, Pete, and the Book of Prophecies. This WAS important as while UX/Back Cover introduced the Book and KH3 introduced Maleficent wanting the Black Box, Re:Coded is what set the plot thread up that connected these two elements (although later KHUX story updates would ALSO connect these plot elements, that wouldn't be for years after). C) Answer a hypothetical/philosophical question in-universe regarding whether Data can have its own heart. I'm not sure why Nomura thought this needed answered when KH2 had Tron and DDD had Rinzler, but that's what he SAID was the point so whatever. Data Worlds have become a lot more important in the fallout of KH3 so maybe there's some grand foreshadowing going on here. All of these concepts were better explored in other games, in my opinion, but at least in Nomura's mind Re:Coded did have reasons for being made beyond "hey let's cash in on KH1 again".

[@cillbipher2613]

BreakDamageLimit The Book of Prophecies thing was only added in 2.5 tho. Before that, Maleficent and Pete were there for no reason other than "take over the world with darkness"

[@JeanneDGames]

@@cillbipher2613 They were looking for something specifically in Castle Oblivion in the DS version, which Maleficent mentions is a Book of some sort.

[@cillbipher2613]

BreakDamageLimit ...did she? I don't remember that at all. Besides, weren't the Maleficent and Pete in the Castle Oblivion sections just fake memory versions?

[@thedothackerkeyblademaster]

Possible reason why Nomura wanted to give an answer despite Tron being in the series: Most of the Disney characters come with a lot of restrictions regarding how they're used in Kingdom Hearts. Maybe Nomura couldn't do what he wanted with Tron and used coded's story to explore the idea without the limitations. Another possibility: Nomura likes to use Disney characters to parallel Kingdom Hearts characters in certain ways (he wanted to include a Pinocchio world in 358/2 Days to draw parallels between Pinocchio and Roxas and Xion), maybe he intended to do the same with Tron at some point.

[@lpfan4491]

@@thedothackerkeyblademaster I cannot imagine disney being *that* restrictive tho. All they needed to do was to reference the events in KH3 to not mention recoded instead.

[@FromHerotoZeroYT]

This has to be peak confusion for someone who's not into Kingdom Hearts Also those first couple of minutes REALLY made it seem like this was an April Fool's joke

[@stefvanschie8637]

I have the feeling you can do a PhD thesis about the plot of this game, because wtf is going on here.

[@dylanmcnab2980]

Stef van Schie for the longest time i thought that this franchise was a fever dream, then I found out about the HD collection only to find out that my memory is much more reliable then I thought

[@thefreshkingofbel1179]

FromHerotoZero yeah, actually this was my first KH game and i didn’t get that confused, i would believe it from games like kh2 if you haven’t played the other’s or dream drop distance

[@FromHerotoZeroYT]

@@thefreshkingofbel1179 Well you've got one over me then. I played the first one first and even then I had NO idea what was going on

[@thefreshkingofbel1179]

FromHerotoZero classic kh affair

[@bowzofoshu6695]

This is actually my favorite KH game in the series for gameplay alone. The story is so irrelevant that I cant believe they let Nomura make it, but I love absolutely every system in that game and my favorite keyblade is in it too. Zero/One is so broken, the only weapon in the series that tops it is KH3s Ultima

[@TEEZY105]

Yea u have no brain cells

[@CoalWurld]

@@TEEZY105 Yeah u have no brain cells

[@cubicengineering4715]

Same here, this is my only game in the series I've played but it's lucky I got this one because it's the gameplay I really enjoy. One/Zero is also pretty neat, yeah. The Targeting Scope feels really nifty, though currently my favourite to use is the Metal Chocobo. It lets you take 4 physical upgrades in a row, Impact Arts, Attack Upgrade, Full Swing and All Critical; and when I read that apparently Judgement Triad is a good boss killer I went into Castle Oblivion's Score Attack fully clocked and unintentionally beat it in about 0.85 seconds. Also I like to grind the Invisible outside Olympus Coliseum, and with just level 2 clock and 65% HP cheat a normal attack will one-shot the invisible so I don't have to rely on whatever commands I'm trying to fill with CP to kill

[@MarioStelar]

I remember loving the data scape challenges, they were so replayable and fun, most of them were just arenas to fight strong enemies with certain conditions that made the fight more fun to play I also loved Data Sora's personality, how he knew he wasn't real but still wanted to humbly help Mickey it was also such a nice change of pace since I played it just after Days, that I considered terrible gameplay wise, the mission system simply didn't worked

[@sorakh4119]

This comment is based and true

[@thebigchungus4515]

The customizable difficulty options in ReCoded actually remind me a lot of TWEWY, which actually does a lot of what ReCoded did before it came out. You get the option to chain enemies in a row, up to 16 fights back to back by the endgame, with the overall strength of enemies increasing in each round and also increases the exp and drop rate of items in exchange, greatly rewarding you for challenging yourself. You can also decrease your health to enhance this effect as well and unlock more difficulty options as the game goes on. Combine this with the vast amount of customizable attacks at your disposal and the partner system keeping you on your toes on even basic encounters and it’s an absolute blast. Considering how involved Nomura was in developing the gameplay for TWEWY, it actually makes me wonder if he got some inspiration from it for ReCoded.

[@osurpless]

thebigchungus 451 Even though I didn’t know this despite having heard of TWEWY, I’m glad Re:Coded uses a similar system. Getting to the Platinum Toad and getting the best rewards is so much easier if you are willing to mess with some of the modifiers. All RPGs should have a similar system to address tedious grinding.

[@hyperfixatedd]

Absolutely my dude

[@omegahaxors9-11]

There's actually a really great exploit with the stat matrix. Crank up all the "game harder but better reward" options to max. Trust me. Now you're going to have 10% of your life left. Crank DOWN the max HP setting until you have 2hp left. See where i'm getting at? Every single enemy in the game will have a tiny fraction if their health remaining and turn into loot piñatas. If an enemy ever sneaks a hit in on you, cast esuna (heals and clears status effects) then 2 shot them. The Once-More abilities make you unable to take a fatal blow and Leaf Bracer allows you to always heal when casting esuna. Now you can dedicate the entire rest of your deck into ridiculous and overpowered BS and once you get good enough, can even take heal commands off your deck entirely.

[@heroicgangster9981]

Funnily enough Re:Coded to me as a kingdom hearts fan is important when it came to bein introduced to the series. Not having the mission structure and more linear for the ds, and I straight up got intrigued in kingdom hearts from a cartoon network commercial for Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded straight up playing Simple and Clean. Also I saw how cool Sora looked, it's the least important story wise but I really jive with how digital the aesthetic was and sorta relaxing nothing much happens? And then it led to me watching various kingdom hearts lets plays and allowing myself to get spoiled on everything.

[@heroicgangster9981]

Also man I'm sad that the Re:Coded website is replaced to a referral page :(

[@MrSandMan961]

Apparently the "Nomura was drunk" thing was a joke added by a translator that didn't get fact checked until years later. Literally was not part of the original interview at all.

[@aldebaran2643]

Hot take: Re:Coded is the most fun of all the portable KH games. Prove me wrong.

[@localSunMan]

I can play every KH game on my smartphone, thanks to ps remote. ALL KH games are mobile now.

[@natedogmarik2554]

gameplay wise yes. days gameplay sucked, com on gba wasn't bad but still cards, ddd was eh, and bbs has more versatility in terms of bosses. but not a hot take mostly fax

[@mattyluvspokemon08]

I love DDD just love jumping all over with flowmotion, exploring world as Riku and Sora, deciding when to switch between them (drop me nots make being spat out mid boss a non issue) and I love the combat, just wish the story wasn't so dumb aside from Sora's characterisation which is one of my favourite sora depictions

[@aldebaran2643]

@@mattyluvspokemon08 Hard disagree on the Sora characterization part, I honestly think that all post-KH2 Sora portrayals feel like a lobotomised version.

[@NPVG2]

I think it was less the feelings of the virtual twilight gang transferring to the real ones and more Roxas' heart from within Sora reaching out to them.

[@luigiq2861]

I enjoyed this games gameplay a lot, but unfortunately the story doesn’t mean much

[@osurpless]

LuigiQ Indeed, except for the Castle Oblivion part, in which the story is essentially a coda to Roxas, proving he himself “was a good other.” At least until he reappears, mostly for plot points in III...

[@benedict6962]

same. Hollow bastion was great.

[@DaniNyoMH]

The gameplay was way better then BBS / 3D.

[@luigiq2861]

Kord Kitsugi Agreed

[@EyeStorrm]

Yeah, I like the gameplay, too.

[@SmokeyEdits]

-Sees this video in feed- "Ooh, new King K on Re:Coded" -Sees intro- "Oh yeah, it's April Fool's. This can't be real." -Video continues- "Is this real or not."

[@XavierZara]

"I've been having these weird thoughts lately..."

[@DMTInfinity]

*#lolz*

[@ultimateshadeofwar]

8:12 That anything can have life, and you can't just say that life comes from one source, or something isn't alive just because of the concept it's made of. That *DATA SORA HAS A FREAKING HEART AND ANYTHING CAN GROW A HEART* P.S: That's the whole point of the game, it isn't story importance overall what makes it important, but the world building, such as 358/2 gives you the doubt of Nobodies not being just empty beings as you are made to assume. The point of Re:Coded it's to make you think that not everything is as it looks, and life can exist where you less expect it.

[@nicogalax]

Also, Roxas shows Data-Sora the Disney characters he met but forgot so he understands him forgetting Xion

[@thefreshkingofbel1179]

I don’t exactly see why people need this game to be relevant to all others, maybe it’s because of the nature of the series but idk it’s quite refreshing seeing a standalone game in this series where everything is connected

[@Yurikon3]

Most of the connections aren't even that tight that they add much to the experience. I'd rather take interesting standalone story which deepens the world than bland fetch-quest which moves plot forward.

[@yogurtmale2365]

I actually sorta liked Re:Coded ._.

[@nicole.5346]

I’m the same way. Yeah, it may be pointless, but I enjoyed the story while playing it & I had such a fun time playing the game on the DS

[@thedothackerkeyblademaster]

I know Re:coded is the black sheep of the KH series, but I don't care, it's one of my favorites.

[@ito3540]

I feel the same! It's a fun game, honestly :>

[@cillbipher2613]

Sora-Rex Kairi-Pyra Naminé-Mythra I think UX is overtaking its spot as black sheep.

[@thedothackerkeyblademaster]

@@cillbipher2613 Not really, at least not in my experience. Whenever I see Union χ brought up in conversation, people seem to be more interested in what's going on with it (or they're just indifferent to it). As far as negative reactions go, the worst I see it get is mild frustration. With Re:coded, people seem to outright hate it and call it the worst game in the franchise.

[@reddodeado301]

@@thedothackerkeyblademaster People probably seem more interested in UX because the story is more impactful, and because the global devs are ridiculously lazy. Is it too much to just share servers with the JP version and translate the dialogue? They're literally the same game, same engine. It isn't too much to just import the code from JP and translate the text. If Cygames/Nintendo can do it with Dragalia Lost, why can't Spare Kleenex do it?

[@TheBlueLink3]

I understand your points, but I still have a big soft spot for this game, mostly because the gameplay is very entertaining and I do enjoy the story beats near the end, even if they are derivative. Good video, and I definitely look forward to the DDD retrospective.

[@vexzel5773]

"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN" I still don't understand KH, but I know clubbing cute shadows with a blunt giant key awakens the cave man in me

[@DMTInfinity]

*#lolz*

[@concept8192]

using a big key sword with light powers makes me go "ee ooh ooh ah, not clayton"

[@Dreq458]

"nomura was sad-drunk the night vs13 was taken from him. so he rewrote his plot, made knockoff characters and forced them into KH's narrative."

[@LeonardoRodrigues-uj1sm]

Re:coded is lowkey one of the best KH with actual post world content and one of the best gameplay in the series. Story is trash but we dont care about those.

[@CommieApe]

Who is we? The zero to hero story in Kh1 was dope

[@AntiRiku]

@@CommieApe Agreed, but nowadays it's trash.

[@Awecyan32]

Anti Riku well I guess you know what they say about opinions. Even though I may disagree from you, you’re perfectly entitled to your opinion and I respect it.

[@Pichuscute]

Agreed 100%. Re:Coded is by far the best game in the series in terms of gameplay. The first KH may have an almost palatable story, but the gameplay in that game is absolutely abysmal. The rest of the games in the series have awful stories to the point where it's just makes no sense to even care. Re:Coded is the only game out of those that actually is good enough in spite of that, with real RPG mechanics and actual fun level design. It's a shame most KH fans don't seem to like the actual video game part of video games. >>

[@CoalWurld]

@@Pichuscute Yeah…no.

[@NorthernDruid]

The story had it's moments, it wasn't super profound or anything and a lot of the questions it raises as to the nature of the heart and alternate "copy" versions of yourself has been tackled in more interesting ways in later games. It's not directly bad though, even if in context it's pretty clear filler. In the greater scope of things it does feel pretty meaningless. It was still the best Command Deck game, with the best overall command selection, and the overclock system was actually pretty great. It's a superb game if what you want is just more Kingdom Hearts to tide you over while you wait for DDD. It's just that the story could be relegated to a single disney world's worth of content in KH3, and would probably have ended up being more meaningful.

[@senorbongo4975]

I don't think it's necessarily fair to try and assume that data Sora's hurt isn't as real or at least as potent as regular Soras. In the game, data sora goes through two kinds of hurt. Firstly is forgetting his journey due to data castle oblivion, unlike in rebirth where Sora was pushing through to find Namine, and this his journey towards her wasn't effecting him as much due to his motivation, data sora has no goal, he forgets his friends and for nothing, and that hurts him. Secondly, as you yourself said, his journey really is meaningless, he's just code that's been made sentient and will eventually be forgotten and left alone, this hurt comes from his lack of meaning, he's not saving the world or anything, he's just a program, but he grew a heart, and unlike with Tron, it's not likely he'll be visited again. This games story is overall meaningless, but that's what becomes the ultimate form of hurt for Data Sora, even Roxas acknowledges how pointless everything up to the end of the game was, commenting on how Data Sora won't finish him because at the end of the day they're just code, they're nothing, even less than the nobodies, and just the thought of that is honestly quite heartbreaking in my opinion

[@s.a.m.2300]

Severely disappointed. I don't think you completely understood the purpose of re:coded. The game isn't meant to be about a metaphor. If this game was so pointless, then Chain of Memories and 358/2 Days are both pointless, and we have massive plotholes

[@ananshasheta926]

That doesnt make sense at all. Those games still had massive plot relevance and actually move characters forward. The trials of data sora affect nothing. Namine should have just left a note.

[@plat4234]

The biggest sin of KH Coded/Re:Coded was the creation of Data-Sora, AND THEN DOING JACK SHITE WITH HIM! I MEAN HE'S ONLY MENTIONED ONCE IN THE MAIN STORY OF KH3...... *AND THEN THEY MAKE A SECOND ONE OF HIM IN KH3 RE:MIND!?!* They're basically making Sora slaves to do tasks for them, then leaving them in a useless reality afterwards. I'm just mad about that.

[@CaptainCJ97]

" Who's to say it's even safe inside riku" Who even thought that was ok ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͠°) How this got more action scenes than days is something I'll never get over

[@Mqstodon]

Because days' story is not about action, but it's a tragedy

[@tvb5509]

I genuinely loved the new interactions between DSora and the guest characters, like Alice and Cloud. Sora and Riku's interactions are really good as well. This was the game that really showed me how amazing of a duo Sora and Riku can be.

[@Herodegon]

I actually really liked this game. Probably because it was my introduction into the series.

[@jayvinjohnson9569]

Same here it’s really fun but I definitely like dream drop bette

[@gokenhayato]

In my opinion the most underrated game in the series mainly because it has the best command deck gameplay in the series. Its sad that this game was just a cutscenes collection in 2.5 when the story is easily the worst part of the game and at this point that is all this game is remembered for now.

[@cillbipher2613]

The most irrelevant KH game. None of its story matters outside of the post credits scenes and the stuff that was already brought up in BBS. Even the GODDAMN bottle. You could figure out what the message was after watching Blank Points. Like, it's so irrelevant that KH3 only relegated it to two references by Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy, Dark Riku calling the Darkubes, which look just like the Bug Blox btw, a pile of junk, and Sora saying that the "Thank you" in the datascape flat-out doesn't count. Why the hell did this game get the best Command Deck gameplay instead of DDD? WE COULD'VE GOTTEN BBS VOLUME 2. Ah well....at least we got a bit more Namine.

[@Ghostel3591]

Yeah - Re:Coded never was there in terms of pushing story forward... But I'll always respect team behind it for FINALLY managing to balance Command Deck system. How you can say whether it is true or not? Easy! Simply ask yourself "Is there ability that breaks the game?" - and here ya go BBS had Surge Abilities, DDD had infamous Balloon spell family... And Re:Coded... Has none of it! For example a really strong Triple KB Toss aka Judgment Command - you simply CAN'T meld it before Oblivion Castle world and steamroll through earlier stages. I hope that if they ever return to Command deck system they'll learn from Re:Coded's example.

[@Ageleszly]

And still the best one gameplay-wise!

[@ForrestFox626]

Everything important in this game could of been told in a one episode OVA. And not even a 30 minute one!

[@Ageleszly]

@@ForrestFox626 doesn't matter it was intended to be pure gameplay fun and gameplay is still more important than story.

[@ForrestFox626]

And the gameplay is the same and boring

[@almondmilkbone]

This is one of the first re:coded videos that I think gives a fair shake at the really cool stat progression in this game.

[@grfrjiglstan]

To me, this game is the one that works best *as* a spinoff. Chain, Days, and Birth are all vital to the overarching story, but this one is just a fun little romp that you can just skip. I'm on a long car trip with family, so it's the perfect diversion for me while teasing the next game in the series.

[@nastaboikpopdance]

I prefer re:coded over 358/2 days for the same specific reason you used to express your preference for 358/2 days lol. Re:coded is a great GAME with useless story. 358/2 (quote on quote) is a pain in the ass to play but with a very touching story. But I'm sorry: I am willing to play a game, it's not like watching a movie, therefore, I can still turn off my brain and stop caring for the lore if re:coded is a blast with its fun mechanic and unique twists on the formula. The one thing I can't do is defend the terrible game that is 358/2 days just because it has a very well done story (if you remove from the game entirely all the clock tower cutscenes though). I will never replay 358/2 days for hoe terrible it is, I have played it once so I know the story, and I don't feel the need to experience it again. But I end up replaying re:coded just for how fun it can be, without giving a shit about the absence of a true story.

[@Mqstodon]

Meh disagreed, the gameplay is really fun to me

[@sonict2241]

this game is my favorite game in the series almost entirely because of the gameplay

[@Deoxys_Used_Mimic]

To anyone who wondered: "Who asked for this?" ... I feel like I *might* be *partially* responsible. I regret nothing.

[@SageofLight777]

I...I'm on the fence with this game. Story wise, aside from the very beginning and very end, it feels SO inconsequential because...nothing happens that ultimately makes a damn bit of difference to the overall narrative, despite bridging a couple gaps. But gameplay wise, I feel like it's a straight upgrade to 358 Days in terms of combat and your leveling systems and I actually enjoyed the different gameplay styles that each world offered. Hell, I even did a Lvl 15 run the last time I played, and it was a fun challenge. That's why I feel like this is one of the more infuriatingly complicated titles to talk about in KH.

[@mathiasthewise]

A Re: Coded review on April 1st? This is a very meta joke and I love it.

[@tehSunBro]

Eh still better than days tho. I will allways take a fun game with a bad story over a shitty game with a decent story (that absolutely didn't work for ne because it was all so obvious and dumb)

[@mohammedal-mustafamirghani5010]

23:30 some of the ideas in recorded were actually carried over to kh 3 ,such as leveling up key blades re coded did this first , and kh 3 has codes so you can tweek difficulty which kinda like cpu in kh 3.

[@mohammedal-mustafamirghani5010]

I meant kinda like cpu in recoded at the end my bad

[@lpfan4491]

@@mohammedal-mustafamirghani5010 the keyblade levelupQsystem that carried over was the khux one tho

[@mohammedal-mustafamirghani5010]

LPFan I mean the idea of leveling up keyblades not the way you level up keyblades was first introduced in this entry and then carried to future entries with a bit of tweaking.

[@theanimeditor6400]

+ the darkubes look like the bug blox

[@christophervinson5088]

I thought it was a fun enough mobile game with improved 358/2 mechanics, good graphics, good voice acting, and at the time it was all you could ask for in a DS Kingdom Hearts game. It wasn't anything special story-wise, but I thought it explored themes prevalent in Kingdom Hearts pretty well, and it executed the Disney worlds better than Chain of Memories in my opinion. All in all, I'd give it a 7/10. Mechanically it's one of the better Kingdom Hearts and I'll replay it whenever I play through the whole series again. I wish they would have somehow put it on the PS4 instead of giving us those mind-numbing cutscenes that doesn't quite do the game justice.

[@Maplestarknight]

I liked the story of this one just because of how cute data Riku and Sora's interactions were.

[@girlintheicysky]

I can't say I'm fond of this game either. But, recently, I read an article on the game written by someone new to the series who was blogging about their journey through it, and they managed to extract quite a bit of meaning from their experience with re:coded. I think it's worth a read, it certainly gave me something to think about: medium.com/@gometeorogo/heart-ii-heart-sequence-2-ix-re-fwd-re-fwd-fwd-re-kingdom-hearts-re-coded-42dafbf157b2

[@MACZ2021]

Whenever I think about Days and Re:coded, it reminds me of my thoughts on Zone of the Enders and it's sequel. The first one has gameplay I'm alright with but a story that kept me invested to see the game through to the end, while the second one improves on the gameplay but the story isn't as enjoyable to me personally.

[@Najraxx]

Just binged all your KH retrospectives, truly great takes on my favorite game series I hope to see more in the future :)

[@halomastercosmana648]

This was my first kingdom hearts game actually and to be frank. It's not bad. Story? Who cares. It wasn't followable in the first place so just handle the gameplay difficulty and sadness knowing avatar menu is useless

[@Arcademan09]

I genuinely loved the combat and the leveling system is amazing I wish they used it in 3

[@Zitsanrael1117]

Maybe someone can help because I just can't understand this. It just doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever, how someone can say that a game that sucks/is a chore to play but has a good story (358/2 Days) is a better game than one with a bad/nonexistent story but is actually fun to play (Re:Coded). If a good story is your top priority as a developer then you're better off writing a book or a movie. A game that isn't fun to play is a game that fails IMO, regardless of how good a story it may tell.

[@SilverSphereSorcerer]

Sometimes not having fun adds to the overall enjoyment. In a story driven series like this, a good balance of story/gameplay is crucial.

[@Zitsanrael1117]

@@SilverSphereSorcerer I wholeheartedly disagree. I'm not saying that story has no place in gaming, but it should always be a secondary aspect of development. I play games to PLAY games, not to watch them.

[@tjknight]

In summary: It's more trash than chain of memories storywise and less trash gameplay wise.

[@CarlyDayDay]

chain of memories was way better

[@TheDeathmail]

This was a game for mobile phones created in 2007 before the android and iphone era... a game for the pre-smartphone wars... not even the early era of the iphone... what the f*** would anyone expect from this??? Just it's creation in itself is kinda cool if we think about it. And it was ported over for kids without a Play Station and for people who would just want the complete collection... or idiots who ignore the fact that it was made for a pre-iphone phone...

[@drantino]

i always hated the fact that this game got the cutsceen treament and did nothing with the actual gameplay that was way better then most of the other handhelds since that was like the only thing good about it.... also intresting annoyince with the cutsceens, data sora beats down a metal blox bug, for those whove played it know that isnt possible

[@CidAghast]

Man.... somehow Recoded feels like peak KH but opposide It WIDELY varys in quality but is never boring. The plot was... bad but boy was it.... Kingdom Hearts

[@Shadowkiller-dq2ju]

Recoded doesn’t matter in the story unless you want to know what the letter was in KH2 ending That’s it

[@Jeatkid]

To each their own, some people still don't like chain of memories nor dream drop distance.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

I like to call this a good roadtrip game. When I went to school, I had to take a bus from Bangor, Maine to Roanoke, Virginia and I'm really glad I had this game to fill the time.

[@TheKeyblader133]

Coded's one of those games where I cannot deny that it feels rather pointless, but I still kinda like it. It's the only KH game that I actually enjoyed the command system in (Especially since it didn't completely neuter Keyblades by relegating them to pathetic stat-sticks), and I kinda did enjoy the ideas it touched on over Data Sora as his "own character", but. Like you said, the plot easily could have been made to serve part of Dream Drop Distance. It just..didn't really do anything useful. Which is a shame cause I don't hate.

[@deling_city]

recoded is one of my fav kh games so im excited to watch this! the story is overall meh but the gameplay was sooo fun

[@shauna2559]

I have to admit, i think this is some of the most fun gameplay any KH game has had. It retains the platforming of KH1 that was lost in KH2, but also brings forth a great way to use the command deck that feels just as good as KH2 combat. This combat is amazing, and im in awe that a DS game can be this fun. RE:Coded has some fantastic gameplay, but I feel so... Hollow. Theres so little story keeping me going, it feels like a tech demo. Its a fun tech demo, but good lord it feels emotionless besides "the game is fun". As a result, i... Somehow like 358/2 days significantly more. If 358/2 days had RE:coded gameplay it'd be the most perfect KH game I think.

[@memesarekeem]

My first and only kingdom hearts game. I still love the game, though.

[@RJV-s3l]

Memes Are KEEM you’re missing out big time. KH2 is the best

[@thatinsanehenry_3447]

I feel like, not to undermine Sora's own stuggles. When he says he's felt hurt I feel like part of him is channels Roxas. But that's only based on when xion returns sora actually knows her name so it's almost like Roxas can channel sora while he lives inside sora. Idk how that stacks up with the lore but whatever

[@jamesmason3734]

Yeah it's quite a filler game. A fun one that just playing it I don't mind too much, but incredibly filler otherwise. Also the "Play at night!" Challenge was bullshit because I was playing at night but then the clock turned to 4 AM and I failed it! What the fuck!

[@TightSweaters4]

Huge shame they put recoded's system into recoded. Imagine BBS with that stat matrix.

[@kyrios2773]

The second the notification came I was summoned

[@AThingAmajig]

I feel like this is an exhausted question maybe; but do you have any plans on making the dream drop distance retrospective within the future?

[@leafia133]

Im calling it now Re:coded is going to turn out to be one of the biggest twist for the Future of KH datascapes will be huge

[@GeorgeCowsert]

Ngl this game was my introduction to the entire series and it hooked me. The gameplay was fun, the story was weird enough to keep me engaged without overwhelming me with BS, and it's just got decent gameplay mechanics and levels.

[@QuikVidGuy]

the original roxas fight is a lot more appropriate because it'd be the lost part of Sora's/Ventus' minds lashing out in order to be acknowledged as a real person... to someone who is only a simulation. IT could have been a great cap to a supposition about how copies of someone's mind still feel real and the ethics of trying to create a real learning, feeling simulation like when Black Mirror first introduced Cookies. They could even have added the stuff about Hurt as part of it. Like "this fake sora and roxas can make you feel emotions even though there's not much of a consequence to them failing, so think how important these characters and your real-life friends are to you" And yet

[@AntoinC95]

This was the most contrived piece of god knows what that I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. But, the gameplay was an absolute saving grace. Really fun take on the "handheld" Kingdom Hearts format. I was especially a fan of the keyblades and how much of an effort was made for them to be distinguishable from one another.

[@Woodenfan]

I like that none of them were inherently better than the other - they all had specific builds to them that were all good in their own right. Zero/One's still busted as shit, though.

[@AntoinC95]

@@Woodenfan At least they saved the busted Keyblade until last. 😅

[@Woodenfan]

@@AntoinC95 I'm wondering if Ultima Weapon will be that broken. Most likely!

[@2401blue]

Ultima Weapon is cool because it has a lot of useful abilities from a variety of other keyblades - Undo, All Critical, Attack Haste, all that. But it doesn't do any one niche better than other keyblades which specialize. (I'm also still not sure if Zantetsu Prime actually works, but there are other useful Lv 4 abilities anyway.)

[@cozykomorebi7184]

to be honest, I loved Coded XD I didn't care about the movie version, but playing it was great because it had the best dialogue like the bromance chemistry between Cloud, Sora, and Hercules was actually amazing

[@Sonnance]

You've actually made me want to check out a Re:Coded speedrun. Got any suggestions for someone who's never seen it run?

[@alfierowenaw5827]

Theres a Duality on KH DS Games 358/2 - Great Story, Eh Gameplay (It's not the Missions... It's the damn Slot style Inventory!) Re:Coded - Bad Story, Great Gameplay (Actually Great Command Menu and No End Lag after each command, Makes for great Combo Vids)

[@JourneyTo20XX]

I wish for the next game they give a replica for Data Sora. He still had a personality I felt was unique to him, especially when he summoned his keyblade back

[@PatrickOchoa8a]

I think Maleficent has a line or two about the book of prophecies which at the time I figured was foreshadowing the next arc after KH3.

[@Webshooters1]

I love this game. Yes the story is the definition of filler but I still enjoyed it as it's own self-contained story and did get a callback in Dream Drop Distance and the HD movie beefed it up further by having a little interlude to 3D as well as tying in the Book Of Prophesies from KHX. But more than that, I loved it for it's gameplay where customization is the name of the game. The "cheats" allow you to tweak the game to whatever you want. Want more drops? Sure. Play a harder difficulty? Go for it. All are valid options and that extends to fusing commands. Simply put, for a DS title that is pure filler, it's one of the most fun filler games I've played. I love how combat in the Hercules world becomes turn-based ala Final Fantasy.

[@r4bbitdragon]

Huh, the cheats sound like an expansion of how TWEWY let you alter your level or difficulty at any time to change loot drops. Neat.

[@TheHaddonfieldRegistry]

Wow back when we thought Vanitas was just the dark half of Ventus. How naive we all were.

[@MadMalManny]

"Nothing Happens Still A Good Game Though" *DIRECTED BY NOMURA*

[@ailurophilekia6565]

The only person who plays Kingdom Hearts mostly for the plot

[@zincpodzzz]

I like ReCoded personally lol. I think the gameplay is really fast and addicting with new gameplay additions and refined old things like the command deck. The story is very bare bones, but I do like the Roxas parts.

[@chickenbear9499]

I kinda got some meaning from it, but I also just woke up so maybe I'm crazy and will find it stupid later. I think the point of Re:Coded is the inherent joy in pointless activities. Data Sora doesn't matter, he's not real in the context of the series, but Donald and Goofy still go though the adventures with him and get "dragged into his messes", it doesn't matter to them if what they're doing is real or not, they're still enjoying themselves doing something that will ultimately be pointless. Just like the player playing other Kingdom Hearts games, do they mean anything in the real world? Not really, but so many people still enjoy and some even care for this spiky haired boy who also happens to be data in the context of our world. Re:Coded is simple fun, it doesn't mean anything, but sometimes, pointlessness can be just as important as everything else in life. The cutscene collection kind of goes against this, since it's just boring and doesn't have the gameplay to add the joy in the "inherent joy in pointless activities." It's a playable break from the importance of the troubles in the real world of Kingdom Hearts, just like the Kingdom Hearts is a break from whatever real world problems people play games to escape from. This kinda goes out the window with Roxas and the castle oblivion stuff and the themes of "hurt", but there's my pointless interpretation, if anyone cares, I'm not very good at explaining myself so this probably didn't make any sense anyway.

[@blueshellincident]

It upsets me greatly that they could have made Re:coded be plot important if they just plugged Jiminy's now fixed journal into the twilight town computer to instantly make a body for Roxas by literally pulling out the data version of him into the real world, like what they did with the munny bag and trophy balls in KH2. That's what I THOUGHT was going to happen, but I guess the TT computer was having issues lmao. Oops.

[@Westile]

I have unironically been looking forward to Coded videos in general since finishing it so yeah, ain't no prank bein' played on me here.

[@OneColdRepublican]

4:33 I think you mean you DROPPED. Would have been a perfect Segway into KH3D.

[@ultimatehope549]

Ah yes, the game with my favorite Kingdom Hearts story of all time: Kingdom Hearts 1 again again Kingdomer Heartser

[@Friendly_Neigborhood_Astolfo]

K i N d E m H u R t Z! F i L l M e E e E h W i T h D a H p O w A h o F d A n K n E S s!!!!

[@user-gu1sl1mn2m]

It’s so crazy how this game has a lot to do with KH3 and after it

[@anonjoeoof2113]

Recoded is good

[@NeeldTheMaster]

the stat matrix really reminds me of the pro and ez codes from kh3 which is pretty cool.

[@reilie9115]

The one thing I can recall Recoded contributing to the story of KH is the idea that anything can form a heart, even data which is why data sora gains his own keyblade. This point is important to 3D and was hinted at in days, but recoded was when its first explicitly shown. I guess you can also say its important to introducing how data worlds work (and since so much of khux is entrenched in data worlds now) but then again kh2 also had that somewhat :P

[@Nintendotron64]

I'm starting to think I might have been too harsh on this game...but on the other hand, maybe not? God, I really don't know! Kingdom Hearts usually does such a great job of blending narrative and mechanics! But here? Sheesh. They're about as distant as can be.

[@AnubisBlackGamez]

I was hoping kingdom hearts dark road was going to be 3d like coded, but nope oh well :/

[@marche800]

The cheat system is very reminiscent of The World Ends With You. In that game you could decrease your level for a better drop rate.

[@handsoaphandsoap]

I feel re:Coded works a lot better if you think about it as a self-contained spinoff. A fun one shot romp with little to no impact on the overarching story but regardless an entry that I’m glad exists. Seems like they’re weaving some elements from it into Union X tho.