Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories: Underrated Exercise in Intrigue

[@horrornation1118]

I like that Sora got pissed off and frustrated as the story progressed, it makes him more human.

[@devyboo2]

I always liked that the game ends with Sora just straight up killing a dude

[@Crafty_boy70]

you could also see it as Sora slowly losing himself, the fact that he got angrier despite his personality really shows the effect of losing his memories.

[@blaze-kz7nz]

This is what the main games lacked, or at least had so little if it had. Also, I loved Sora's interactions with Donald and Goofy here. It shows a deeper level of their friendship when the three showed anger and frustration at each other but at thw same timw also giving each other love and support as they slowly lose their memories.

[@videogamerNattie98]

@@blaze-kz7nz My absolute favorite moment is when you go up to the final floor where Donald proclaims that he is scared of what they might face. The three always promise to look out after each other but what really makes that scene for me is the fact that the fear of the unknown is truly gripping the party creating a very deep sense of terror along with the fact of the worry, concern, and silent panic amongst the party for how much they lost. That while Donald, and Goofy amongst there mythos have encountered fear it was for the most part topical this though this is not a topical fear this is a true feeling of dread of what will happen to them if they don't succeed if there is even a chance to succeed for them in there eyes. Donald is very flamboyant and outgoing, but to see him like that Ill be honest is incredibly disheartening, thankfully this promise gives a sense of certainty and faith that the party lacked. And the reward for that promise is the omnidirectional full screen non elemental nuke, known as trinity limit. This is arguably the best ally based slight in the game and that is besides just its power Donald, and Goofy are always with Sora that this slight can be used pretty much anywhere to boot.

[@docxy7331]

Sora seeing a guy be murdered: what are you people!? Sora 5 minutes later: all the other kids with pumped up kicks

[@NexGenration99]

ive always held the idea of "i see your complaints, and they are valid complaints, but i dont care because i had fun" when it comes to this game

[@Xpwnxage]

Lol yep same and for Dark Souls 2, that is my mantra.

[@Crafty_boy70]

me with Pokemon Sword and Shield:

[@LupineHero]

Me whenever Pat criticizes KH2 (my favorite game of all time)

[@Satchmeat]

@@Xpwnxage Dark Souls 2 best souls

[@sjoldzic10]

This is you right now: I recognize that the Council has formed an opinion. But given that it's a stupid ass opinion, I have elected to ignore it. 😂

[@fruitlion8]

"Me, Riku... ...And Namine." That was a very powerful moment for young me, especially because Sora says it with a total smile on his face.

[@KodasGarden]

Yep, it's a chilling moment

[@handsoaphandsoap]

It should also be mentioned that CoM is the most invested Sora is in defeating the main antagonist. Fighting Ansem SoD, Xemnas and even Xehanort are kind of equivalent to chores to Sora, just something that would be nice of him to do, but the outright contempt in Sora’s expression when he beats Marluxia in CoM is unparalelled. This is a man that robbed him of basically everything, messed with his entire identity and fucked Sora up to an almost irreversible state, Xemnas could never.

[@Schizobateman]

In terms of story and Soras Characterisation its all downhill from there

[@zachanikwano]

It's funny that even fighting Saix didn't 😊get that response. With how incredibly hateful Sora was towards Nobodies as a concept in KH2, and Saix making it personal with Kairi (and unknowingly being INCREDIBLY abusive towards the Sea Salt trio), AND Roxas being in Sora... Sora should have gone absolutely mental towards Saix. Like how he beat Davy Jones with his bare hands lol

[@familytablet6453]

@@zachanikwano I forgot about the Davy Jones scene, now I'm on the floor rolling!

[@alexanderzafiris6843]

"The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes." Maybe Nomura was secretly signaling that Chain of Memories would be very dark by describing it as striving for a more light-hearted tone.

[@AtomicF0x]

That's very poetic and would have been cool. But who knows what he was really thinking as the game was being made.

[@AttestedFire66]

It wasnt very dark though? It was just like every other KH game and only maybe a little edgy here and there, but no E rated game is gonna be very dark. Edit: Ahhh I see, you're saying that because he said it was a dark game in the video, still doesn't change my comment any tho..

[@maurice7002]

@@AttestedFire66 “no e rated game is gonna be dark” you have not played enough games

[@creature6715]

@@AttestedFire66 sora gets gaslit and kills a bunch of people is just another kingdom hearts game to you?

[@AttestedFire66]

@@creature6715 yeah because just like every other KH noone dies... they all come back. I love KH, its my favorite piece of media by far but it's definitely gotten silly with all the 'noone really dies' etc. stuff that they started pulling. KH had edgy, dark undertones before I'll give it that, that's what I loved about it, but now they've undermined all that and took away the more mature aspects by u doing it all in KH3.

[@awkwardtonberry5459]

The card system is very easily explained. Aqua is HUGE fan of Uno. Absolutely loves it. It even says so in her character data(lie).

[@RegularPat]

lmao YO it would've been so funny and classic Nomura if BBS had Aqua like, actually really into card games or something.

[@trulymrword]

Thinking back on it COM feels like a Tabletop Game and Eraqus loves that (Command Board and Chess) lmao.

[@Vigriff]

I thought she was a fan of a certain children's card game.

[@ribbonfly]

@@RegularPat In the BBS novel, Aqua likes baking sweets. Terra is not much of a sweet tooth but Eraqus and Ven love her treats.

[@usernamepassword4517]

69 likes

[@topsykrett1744]

Ooo that line though. "6 Members of the Organization walk into the Castle, and one Flurry of Dancing Flames walks out."

[@TheJbrown60]

this game is just organization xiii gaslighting sora and its great

[@coockabura8685]

"What the heck is a Kingdom of Hearts?!" Haha! My dad would always call it "Kingdom of Hearts"

[@TackyRackyComixNEO]

I remember my partner and I went to the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World of Tres concert when it came to NYC, and the person they had both to give general announcements and to act as the translator for Yoko Shimomura (*yes, she was there, and she played piano in the encore, and it was amaziiiiiiiiing*) said "Kingdom of Hearts" nearly every time he had to say the name of the series. Everyone would groan or clown on him when it happened, but then at one point, he finally said "Kingdom Hearts." And all rejoiced. He did it again! Further merriment! And then finally, the final time...he got it wrong once more, but by that point no one really cared enough to knock him for it.

[@zexionienzo4183]

My sister also calls it “Kingdom of Hearts”

[@ZahnGamingx]

Same my mom did the same thing!

[@morganwhite4788]

All of these people must be dysfunctional at spelling then. Lol

[@peebopelican6119]

@Bau Cap. I remember that scene lol, then Goku goes super keyblade master and kills 1000 heartless

[@jackbrownio3]

8:53 Pat literally describes the exact way I feel about Pokémon and Assassins Creed while I mindlessly play Pokémon and listen to his podcast style video. This is more meta than Verum Rex

[@Gamechamp3000]

You speak good words~

[@acesamm]

Hello, Gamechamp.

[@evopug9154]

This was not someone who I expected here but is welcome

[@pyguy7]

You speak words goodly* ; )

[@Thisisthegreatestatofalltime]

@Barrett Zaid and @Orlando Alvaro Two spamming bots saying the same thing in every comment section isn’t fooling anyone (unless your a very unintelligent creep). Welp, talking to a bot is pointless, so it’s time to report you.

[@0yourmom019]

i didnt expect to see you here i-

[@caldw615]

I always liked the story of CoM expanding on the main cast and actually implementing conflict within the main trio. Sora struggling to trust his memories or his friends and actually straight up bailing on Donald and Goofy later in the game. When I originally played this game I made an effort to always talk to Donald and Goofy in between floors to see their reactions and thoughts on the events that just unfolded. I think the usage of sprites for specific emotions and expressions made the first CoM interactions with the NPC's more engaging than the other 3D titles where the characters just repeat the same dumbfaced expression and mouth flap animation regardless of context. The original CoM actually showed Donald, Goofy, Sora and everyone else actually happy, sad, angry or worried as the events unfolded throughout the whole story but in the remake you only see them emote in the actual dedicated cutscenes and the inbetween conversations or non-voiced Disney events seem much more bland due to them not using detailed facial expression outside of a few key anomations. A character could have just had a cutscene where they are questioning their own memories and who to trust and then when you speak to them 2 seconds later they just stand there with a derpy dead eyed expression and repeated mouth flaps. Really enjoyed the video, nice to hear people give props to CoM.

[@Xpwnxage]

Oh yeah that's a good point, GBA had those different facial expressions on their dialogue, I totally forgot about that.

[@NickyLaurienzo]

Fantastic point, love the character expressions in addition to the story/dialogue with the organization members. Love this game!

[@Saturn537]

18:55 Actually Kingdom Hearts Union X brings up this very point again, by saying that even though all the Dandilion's memories of the drama and rifts leading up to The Keyblade War, along with The Keyblade War itself were all erased the scars on their hearts remained.

[@RegularPat]

That's interesting! I have a very fuzzy sense of awareness when it comes to Union X so thank you for sharing that!

[@billybrown9185]

Necro replying, buy this was also Young Xehanorts whole deal. He had to come forward in time to experience his master plan so it would remain engraved on his heart even though he lost his memories when he returned to his time.

[@thelemonadestandman]

"Thankfully this was only a phase that would last a minimum of... Eighteen years...." Fuck, I why you gotta call me out like that? But it's nice to hear someone give a defense to CoM. It's an easy target and I don't blame people for making it the butt of jokes. But there is enjoyment to be found in this game, and I love how twisted this game can get with Sora having his mind screwed up to the point he bails on Donald and Goofy. If anyone is like me and found Sora's characterization in DDD and KH3 skewed a bit too far in "happy ball of sunshine 24/7", then CoM is a great reminder of there's a still darkness in every Heart, even Sora.

[@RegularPat]

YES I meant to highlight that scene where Sora abandons DG, that's like the definitive low point of the relationship lmao. Sora has his angst set to 100 in this game.

[@GodOfOrphans]

well darkness in every heart except the seven princesses of heart anyway.

[@ma.2089]

I think DDD does manage to show some of CoM Sora in that both CoM Sora will obsess over memories or people in his heart and want to help them. He goes crazy trying to help Repliku and Namise and in DDD even after being warned multiple times he ran after Namine, Xion, Roxas, Aqua, and Terra. And i think KH3 does it a bit too, in (granted it’s in the worst world of the game) Arendelle. He continuously asserts that Elsa won’t go to the dark side and that pushy “I’ll be the savior!” attitude pisses Larxene off (just as she was w/ his actions in CoM) cuz she knows it’s only Elsa’s decision. We can blame the darkness of Sora’s obsession due to the memory manipulation, but that kind of attitude still remains in later games, albeit way less obvious since Sora isn’t getting as fucked with internally.

[@Emu-]

What about that part in kh3 pirates of the carribian where he goes up to the villain and starts punching him?

[@TheKabuto90]

Also uh, Sora spends most of KH3 in a funk, showing itself mostly through his interactions with the villains and perhaps more importantly, getting very sad when things go wrong in some way, the latter being very important to keep in mind to contextualize the events in the keyblade graveyard.

[@bobbackwards8481]

I wonder if Castle Oblivion Oogie's "true memories" were from the real Oogie Boogie or if this one came to realize that he and his entire world are mere illusions in the party's heads.

[@caldw615]

There's a lot about Oogie we never really know even from the original Nightmare Before Christmas. Why is he a sentient bag of bugs? Why does he live isolated from the rest of Halloween town? Why does Oogie try to hurt people instead of just scare them like the rest of the town? Maybe his true memories were him recalling some of the things left unanswered by the movie or like you said maybe he realised he was just an illusion. Or perhaps because he is just an illussion and has nothing to draw out the potion just presented him with "nothing" like a void or "darkness". True darkness in KH's universe is terrifying like the realm Aqua was trapped in so maybe he got some kind of sense of what that was like being much bigger than himself and it terrified him. That or maybe we're overthinking it and the potion was just a bust.

[@Star-rd9eg]

wadafak thats deep

[@zaqareemalcolm]

@@caldw615 it's also implied that since the 1st Floor/Traverse Town, Namine was trying to send subtle coded warnings to Sora about what the Organization was doing to him through her, by using the memory worlds. Having Oogie react so scared and negatively to a potion supossedly revealing his true memories might've been an attempt to deter Sora from going up further, since early on they've assumed the memory loss was helping them remember important things.

[@caldw615]

@@zaqareemalcolm That's an interesting take, perhaps the Queen of Hearts in Wonderland also believing the made up memories Alice gave to her to try trick her was also a warning from Naminé too. Sora later in the story kind of does the same thing as the Queen where he doesn't head his friend's warnings and blindly believes his new memories.

[@WednesdayMan]

@@caldw615 no I think when Oogie drank the potion he remembered Sora and his team killing him. why else did he tell Sora, Donald Goofy and Jack to get away from him?

[@V8chump]

Someone give this man an award, he must be some kindve clairvoyant to know so much about me in such fine detail.

[@GNOtaku13]

I’m really glad you highlighted the importance of the Disney worlds! Usually on my CoM playthroughs I skip through the unvoiced scenes, but after hearing you talk about them I definitely want to go back to them

[@daric_]

It seems like CoM on GBA makes more sense than in 3D in Re:CoM. The gameplay fits a limited system rather than shoehorning it into the original 3D system.

[@RegularPat]

Very much so

[@daric_]

@@RegularPat I am going through the KH series the first time when I get the time after buying the entire series for PS4 last year. I skipped Re:CoM and just watched the cutscenes because the card system was so different. But this convinced me to eventually go back and play it. Thanks. :)

[@jembozaba4864]

But the GBA doesn’t have Lethal Frame.

[@rendomstranger8698]

@@jembozaba4864 Who needs lethal frame when you have zantesuken for the bosses and can clear any group of normal enemies with just 2 deck rotations? Seriously, screw damage against bosses. Just block the sleights with a few 0's, heal back up to full and burn the remainder of their deck.

[@mr.mcklockwork3828]

@@jembozaba4864 I'm still waiting on a romhack full of new content

[@AtomicF0x]

I'm really glad CoM turned out so inversely-themed compared to the "lighter tone" Tetsuya Nomura originally had planned. The themes and moments you described, like the overarching, yet intimate air of psychological oppression hanging over Sora and company as they progress through Castle Oblivion, (where Sora, Donald and Goofy actually _talk_ more to each other), the plotting and intrigue of the Organization (Zexion is my favorite), the disturbing, emotional plight of Riku Replica coming to terms with his tumultuous existence...I love it all.

[@aleisshiki3649]

Alright fine, I’ll give CoM another shot. You convinced me haha

[@RegularPat]

YASS

[@MightyOwl_01]

so, did you enjoy it? (I haven't actually played CoM, ended up watching multiple story recaps but I kinda want to play it at some point, but after 100%ing kh2 recently, I think I will wait a bit before I jump back into kingdom hearts lmao)

[@skylerbehunin7777]

@@MightyOwl_01 the gameplay sucks but it’s the best story IMO

[@laststrike4411]

@@skylerbehunin7777 If you were to make a final mix of the gameboy version, how would you go about it?

[@xvc918x8]

should have left it 2d

[@IvanHas2muchTime]

Re: chain actually added a lot to the gameplay, dodging has its own button, you can compile 2 cards on their own, you have more slights to learn (som of them would be later reused in bbs), gliding is added, worlds actually have new objects and traps to interact (in GBA there were none), the Winnie the pooh world has brand new minigames (one of them would later be reused in 3d as the dive mechanic), riku's unique draw feature, new bosses like Zexion and Marluxia's final battle, also they have the ability to scatter your cards, thing that would be used in the mysterious figure in bbs. The only issues are the in-battle camera and the world design, they could have had a semi-flat perspective like the og GBA version instead of the 3rd person one, and make every room bigger with more objects to interact similar to the sin migami tensei series to make it feel more like a maze with more exploration. Also remaking the Disney world cutcenes cause they feel pretty soulless in comparison to the other cut scenes.

[@RegularPat]

There's definitely solid additions to ReCoM! I think, like you said, the shortcomings for me boil down to those issues with the battle perspective and the world design on a console. But I did appreciate the addition of the new battles and especially the movement abilities in ReCoM.

[@DeathGodRiku]

I remember playing a little bit of Re:CoM and my first fight felt awkward due to the 3D movement combined with the card system. Something about it felt...off to me

[@zaqareemalcolm]

You can play two card stocks in GBA, its just really, _really_ awkward to do so (select reload card and press L and R with two cards in stock) Not many people know this because it's only mentioned in the game manual; I checked it afterwards on an online pdf of the thing since I actually only found that out by accident.

[@shikitohno47]

@@zaqareemalcolm wtf square Enix lmfao

[@zaqareemalcolm]

@@shikitohno47 this is why deck building is important lol

[@bleachbleachBLEACHER]

Basically, this canonically means that Aqua invented the card system of Castle Oblivion as a method of confusing trespassers and making navigation within its halls even more impossible than it already would have been.

[@MrAuthor3DS]

Hey, whatever keeps Ven safe.

[@jacksonwww5]

I like how this game treats Donald and Goofy as real characters, even though in other series they have their moments, only in KH1 and CoM I could see them as genuine characters, and not only Sora's companions, precisely because they have their own questions, conclusions, they disagree with Sora and that's good, because a friendship is not just about support, it's about growing up together, and sometimes that involves falling out. I also like how Sora seems like a better built character in this game, he really acts like a confused person and lets it all consume him until he realizes he's made a mistake.

[@jacksonwww5]

And I'm not even going to start talking about Riku in this game because I would write an essay here

[@DMTInfinity]

Chain Of Memories is amazing. I Love the gameplay, the story, the music, the worlds, the cards, EVERYTHING..! In my personal opinion, this game is an absolute masterpiece..! 😍

[@corbinmarkey466]

Small brain: Sora in KH2 represents all the kids who didn't play CoM Big brain: Riku in KH2 represents all the kids who *did* play CoM

[@bookfan1239]

And in the end, they both unite to defeat Xemnas and go home. Poetic

[@TheKlamotte]

I Personally love that Bit in wonderland . The Queen "remembering " something that never happened because she is too proud and full of herself to admit

[@LazerzZ]

Chain of Memories slaps. I didn't start playing Kingdom Hearts until mid 2015 so this is definitely not nostalgia talking. The unique gameplay system is incredibly challenging, but once you master it, damn it's satisfying. The story also is one of the most intriguing. The disney stuff is very meh, you've got essentially rehashing of KH1 but Sora is being an idiot, other than that though, the game really is just banging. Great video too, this was really nice to watch!

[@bigben3922]

I recently started replaying CoM on my old gameboy advanced after hearing you mention it was underrated in a different video, and now I’m blown away at how I never realized that CoM has the most character interaction between Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

[@RegularPat]

It really does! Even in 1, which I love, there's a steep drop off after Deep Jungle, and in 2 and 3 it's mostly just quips and inconsequential scenes, barring a few moments.

[@jacksonhill7552]

I'm just upset that Luxord, you know, the member of Organization 13 who's whole shtick is that he is a gambler of fate and uses cards and dice for his attacks and abilities, was excluded from Chain of Memories, I mean, look me straight in the eye and tell me that Luxord would not have been a perfect fit for this game

[@TheKlamotte]

Yo. A luxord boss with an enemy card that randomizes your deck-order would have been SICK

[@TheAzulmagia]

Luxord just physically beats you with oversized versions of the cards in his deck.

[@krzysztoftarnowka8747]

@@TheAzulmagia Comically large cards

[@sideways5153]

Luxord would not have been a good fit for this game 😐 FR tho, the game is a psychological thriller about a young boy being brainwashed and manipulated so his chosen one powers can be exploited by others. The ex casino dealer who in life was fired for cheating rude players out of their chips and in new life smugly plays with his food wouldn’t mesh with the other Organization members or the danger Sora was in. Thematically his gambler aesthetic would clash with the idea that Sora is in some way digging through a metaphorical full deck in order to see what cards are hiding near the bottom Actually the game not including Luxord retroactively makes the symbolism of a deck of cards and a chain make more sense. The point is the immutability of your personhood, and the way you never truly lose the things that are a part of you. That symbolism actually ties really well into the stories of the Nobodies and their quest to regain what they lost - many links down the chain of their memories, hidden in the cards left in their decks when they awoke as nobodies, are their true selves, left behind after their heart was lost. So yeah, no Luxord in CoM, plz. Wrong vibe lol

[@drowsy7921]

He would've slayed too much

[@mogfoil]

thank you for helping sustain my kingdom hearts hyperfixation.

[@jaystrange]

So hype for another one of your videos! The way you build a compelling argument in such an entertaining way makes your videos so easy to enjoy. Please keep it up!!

[@VideogamePianoMan]

I loved this analysis, mostly because you actually took the time to consider the context we received it in! I feel like it's easy to talk down on the game while forgetting how pivotal this game was to the overarching storyline -- not only by being the first true sequel to the OG KH, but also by being the first introduction to the organization, and the first game to center Riku as a secondary protagonist (not to mention replica technology, and how serious "being connected" can be in the KH universe), all with only 10 buttons and a 3.5" screen! This made me super excited to replay this game, although I think I might give the original GBA version a spin this time, since I've only ever played ReCoM before! (Side note, it took me until watching this video to realize why Axel controls assassin nobodies -- I must've forgotten how ruthless he is in this game after playing 358 too much...)

[@RegularPat]

Glad you enjoyed! Yeah I think it's such an important piece to the puzzle that gets overlooked because of the card stuff. There are some fun little differences in CoM that I totally forgot about! I recently remembered that the whole post-Lexaeus battle sequence plays out entirely differently in CoM than ReCoM.

[@raymondc9513]

"Kingdom of Hearts Chain Memories? Wut that?" -Your dad, not mine

[@seemangalbj]

Really well thought out video. Chain of Memories I have a soft spot for. Can't entirely blame the mediocre overall reception for it but I don't think enough people give it a chance mostly due its combat. To be fair I didn't for a while either but it eventually clicked with me.

[@abelmoreno4836]

The original recom was full price because it came in a package called “KH2 Final Mix plus” which featured both Kh2FM and recom, but this was a Japanese exclusive

[@GreenRequiem]

You're so clear in how you express your thoughts on CoM and I often found myself laughing at some point ya made and agreeing to some statement because I'd never heard it expressed that way before. Such a great video; love it when you upload

[@pokeslob]

Man it’s really not often you find someone who not only also likes KH better than KH2, but recognizes why CoM was such a great story. OG KH will always be my favourite game, but I still hold that CoM had the best narrative in the series. Especially having grown up and losing two very close loved ones to dementia, I really appreciate how this game makes you think about memory. It’s brilliant! Also I think Re:CoM makes a lot more sense when you remember that it was initially bundled as an extra with KH2 Final Mix. I don’t think it was ever intended to be sold as a stand alone game, so the fact that it’s as polished as it is is pretty incredible.

[@procrastinator99]

I'd really like an analysis on Riku's side of this story, I find it SO interesting and feel that it fleshed out Riku's feelings about his flaws and the damage that not only he caused, but the lasting harm Ansem did to him. Also, I find the original COM's translation of Axel's line to be FAR better than the subsequent games, "got it memorized?" In the Original COM, he says, "my name is Axel, commit it to memory!" I find having it be a command rather than a question to be MUCH more powerful and compelling.

[@danieldorvil7683]

I'm probably one of the few who'd say that "Chain of Memories" is my favorite KH game, unironically.

[@weridplusho]

I played the GBA but didn't grow to like CoM until Re:CoM. I even enjoyed the battle system; it's definitely one of those "it grows on you" type of deals. Your point about CoM being character-driven instead of plot-driven is spot on. It's why I grew to like the Organization in the first place. To the point that I wanted that Roxas game because I had thought we get _more_ of both him and CoM's Org members (a disappointment I'm still not over to this day). While Sora and Riiku's story had mostly went over my head, the more I look at it, the more the I like it. It truly shows where Nomura's strengths lie; not in the grand overarching plot, but the mystery, the characters within it and their development. He's great at weaving a tale together that is subtle and vague enough you could have different interpretations and they'd all be correct. It's a shame the games after this are bogged down by plot. We need another game like this, where the characters are the focus, not some old man's supervillain plan with a thousand backups or Disney.

[@brickdinero5468]

Dude I’m glad a started playing through these, and subscribed to you because you’re videos are not only hilarious but so factual it’s crazy to listen to by another grown ass man that loves these “childrens” games

[@Megaman.ExE7]

I love this game. Everything about it is what is perfect about experimentation; not everyone will be happy - but you can be damn sure people will remember your work in the future

[@ragnarok1310]

I tried playing the game but couldn't even get to the first dungeon, so I watched all the cutscenes both voiced and non-voiced, it felt like watching a mystery drama with the sheer amount of theorizing every few minutes, for me it's the most intriguing the story has been along with Days. I'm still going through the series but I also wonder about 3D's story too

[@RazzleTheRed1]

It's interesting to hear the perspective from someone who played the original version of CoM on release, sadly I never saw the trailers so I didn't know about it because information on games was a lot harder to come by back then. So I only ended up playing Re:CoM after already beating 2

[@enriquea4160]

Amazing video overall. I always appreciated CoM as one of the best storylines in the series. Things like suddenly remembering Namine are presenting in such a way that when see through the eyes of an adult feels like a repressed memory of the death of a friend. One thing not many people discuss is how com and ddd are REALLY similar in many aspects, specially how both serve as interquels to present elements for the next big installment. And in these regards, com does extremely good and ddd fails completely. Whereas ddd totally spoils out most of the plot and motivations for KH3, com introduces us with many concepts that are later expanded in KH2 and at the same time does not tell us anything of what is the organization in the first place, their goal, their members, how Namine or diz fit into everything... It would be worth a more in deep analysis of the matter.

[@RegularPat]

Great point about CoM and DDD, they're the true bridge games of the series and both attempt that mysterious atmosphere...to varying results lol

[@brannycedeno6823]

You know, I am so proud the GBA was the console to get this story. I feel the same about Mother 3. And I dunno if you're like me - I prefer 100 times more to watch the cutscenes with no voice over and with text boxes - the GBA version, because that makes ME tell the story in my head. And it does drive me more into it believe it or not.

[@TheNja09]

Bro I love Re:Chain of Memories. It's so fun once you understand the card system. I've played through the game thrice now, and my biggest piece of advice: EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT! Don't immediately shrug off a sleight just because you prefer a different one; if you put in the effort to learn each sleight, you may come to love it! Also, each keyblade card has a different damage amount that what is listed in the "Deck" tab. Go to the Journal, then to Keyblades, and there you can find the information each keyblade carries, which also includes how much damage that keyblade does in a specific hit in a 3-hit combo.

[@jacobhill1782]

What an incredible video! Plus, as a person who always plays subtitles, it was great to see some available here! Although I've put off playing Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, and instead opting for timeline and plot summaries to fill me in, I've decided to give it a go this week due to this. Thanks!💜

[@RegularPat]

Thanks so much! I never understood why I often see scripted content on KZbin without subtitles, since literally all you need to do is copy/paste your script into the subtitle generator and it takes care of it for you. Then you just type up any improv parts, v easy.

[@nightcloud9700]

Since Dark Road also has card combat & Eraqus technically is the "master" of the Land of Departure / Castle Oblivion, maybe he decided people who walk upon this sealed off land will have to fight with cards, to make their traversal harder?

[@magma41158]

I was literally playing COM on my GBA a few days ago. Also my first kh game was Days, so when the events of COM was referenced I was so interested in finding out what happened in Castle Oblivion. Not only that they build up alot of mystery behind it in days since Sora is there, Xion finds out about her origin, met Namine and Diz and Roxas going there pretty much made him blue screen.

[@blaa6]

The ReChain of Memories version of Scherzo Di Notte is FIRE! I feel like it's the basis for the versions in the HD 1FM and 2FM.

[@CarbonKingZach]

Finally! I found someone who actually likes Chain of Memories. I'm tired of these people totally dismissing this based gameplay.

[@PlayThenReview]

Your intro really hit me. I vividly remember seeing that commercial and being so excited for this game. I would even reread this Disney Adventures magazine that had an article on the game daily. I recently got a copy with the box, manual and all for a great price and I’ll never let it go again 🥲

[@JSeedProductions]

Looking at just the stories, the first three games really fit quite well as a trilogy, especially with CoM being the darkest.

[@Andrew-wl3hn]

Finally someone who gets it. This game is SO much more than its gameplay. I fell in love with these characters when the game came out and to this day, some of my favorite moments and cutscenes in the series come from this game. I remember watching the cutscenes RELIGIOUSLY as a kid (and i loved how this was the first game with theater mode). COM just hits different.

[@jetstreamjackie3437]

I have a lot of fond memories of this game. I have the GBA cart, but I've only ever completed Re:CoM on the 1.5+2.5 collection. The gameplay helped me stay sane in college. When everything else was complicated and awful, I had Re:CoM to occupy my thoughts instead. It also helps that the story is incredibly compelling

[@DandDgamer]

So happy someone talked about this game. I know its weird, but it is close to 10/10 for me. I love the card battle system because I enjoy the tactical and deckbuilding elements, I love the recurrent boss fights that connect you to the intimate cast, I love the music, I love love love the story. Sora is really metal in this game ("I'm going to jog your memory/ go ahead Namine, destroy my memories"), Donald and Goofy are incredibly supportive and have an awesome save moment against Larxene, and every character plays an important role coming towards a great conclusion.

[@sorasnow650]

Glad to see another video, man! I love Chain of Memories. I know it’s not the best in the series but it’s definitely unique.

[@BigBossMan538]

I played the GBA game as a kid and the story kept me going. It was a real thrill experiencing the subterfuge, deception, and plot twists. I remember enjoying the gameplay well enough but I also recall the frustration of many of the bosses like Maleficent and Vexen. I remember getting bored of Re:CoM, couldn’t bring myself to finish Castle Oblivion with Sora. Maybe just using the same sleights like tornado didn’t help as I was unwilling to experiment with my load outs, so I’m willing to give the game another shot and just enjoy the story.

[@BlueBladeofFate]

I'll admit, you have the best commentary style of all the... KHTubers, I dread to say? Of all the ones I've seen. You have the wit and just enough cynicism packed in your scripts to be genuinely interesting and funny... but not to the point where you're disparaging like most other people who seriously analyze Kingdom Hearts. Yeah, you have the heart (ho ho) to enjoy this blessed mess but you're also not a sucker that just eats it all up. The perfect balance.

[@RegularPat]

I'm gonna frame this comment

[@dragonsswarm1987]

Maybe everything is on cards because Nomine is associated with drawing and art? Cards often have drawn representations of people and things, so it could be Nomine physically inscribing memories, abilities, equipment, ect. on cards?

[@Nyzer_]

I definitely agree with almost all of this. Chain of Memories is the peak storytelling of the series, largely carried by the strength of its characterization & interactions. I don't know who it was that was responsible for this, yet seemingly moved on after contributing to the writing of this game, but I will always mourn their departure.

[@tolkraft1883]

I'm enjoying reliving my childhood through a fellow man-child explaining it to me. Solid channel, nice hat.

[@aerrae5608]

I actually like the combat, especially mid to late game. Sora gets crazy strong and trivializes the heartless in ways KH1 Sora could only dream of. The boss fights were also some of the tensest story bosses of the series. I also appreciate Riku's story line cutting to the chase and eliminating deck building. While I did enjoy grinding and building the ideal deck for Sora's given encounter I appreciate that Riku's story hurries you along to the finish line.

[@misseli1]

0:00-0:12 you explained my childhood relationship to KH1 almost perfectly

[@nvanearden]

Your intro about a 6 or 7 year old playing kingdom hearts was spot on for me.

[@dominicvaladez1324]

I’m glad someone else also remembers the sheer amount of visceral horror in this game

[@nerdychocobo]

I'll watch this video later but yes I absolutely agree ;p Edit: in fairness to the "we wanted to make a more light-hearted game inbetween 1 and 2 thing" it's possible that that was the original pitch which then ended up evolving as development progressed

[@Road_to_Dawn]

26:54 Heyyy, you quoted the Axel line that regrettably got changed in the remake! The only time where Axel swears, and one of two swear words in the entire series. (The other being where Sam says "Well that's a hell of a way to live." in DDD.) Thank you for making this video! Chain of Memories has always been one of my favorites in the series. It was actually my favorite for a long time, and now takes second place to Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance, which are tied for first for me. This was also my introduction to the series. I remember my cousin had the first game. I hadn't played it, but I thought it looked interesting. And then my uncle took us to Dave & Buster's and I won the original GBA version of Chain of Memories as a prize there. I knew nothing of the story going into it, but I absolutely loved everything about it, from the deep and complex combat to how incredibly dark and sad the story was. I've also always loved the idea of how you create your own world map and choose which rooms are easier or harder, or have treasures or save points. The pacing is all up to you. And then when I discovered the PS2 version at GameStop one day, I loved that even more, even though there were a few things I think the GBA version did better. I've currently beaten the GBA version 4 times and Re:Com 6 times. It always made me sad that so few people enjoy or even really know about this game, because it's one of my favorite games of all time, even over KH1 and 2. I also really wish they'd bring the card system back for another game. It can be tough to understand for people who are too used to the action from the other games, but it's so deep and complex and opens up a whole world of strategies, and I'm not even a person who usually likes strategizing. I don't know of a single other game that's even remotely like it, and I just want more of it.

[@elementsofapigeon]

i find it very interesting to view a positive perspective to chain of memories, most people I see dont like it, and I personally do not enjoy it, so seeing the positives has been very eye opening, great video.

[@destinyweb1311]

i think that CoM EXCELLS when it comes to its story. It's the right amout of entertaning, emotional and in some point straight up terrifying. The memory loss and Namine plot points in Sora's story and Riku's slow redemption are some of the highlights on the entire saga, and so is the new cast. Axel especially *peaked* in CoM, and i think Maluxia is a far more compelling main "original" Organization XIII final villain than Xehanort unfortunately,,, it's the gameplay that really turns me off when it comes to this game, and so is the repetitions in the Disney worlds. I think they did great in Halloweentown and in Wonderland, but the rest fell a little flat

[@TheKeyblader133]

Yeah, agree with you so much on the first part. I do still really enjoy Xemnas in KH2 (And think they just kinda threw him in the dumpster by placing most/all of his motivations onto the machinations of Xehanort's grand scheme and "Well I had this big plan but it failed cause my other selves kinda fucked off and did their own thing"). But CoM's plot was new and exciting, especially with how many great scenes it had, and one of the things that made Re:CoM such a worthwhile experience. Almost every character nailed their lines (To this day David Gallagher's performance during Repliku's speech to Riku before their final fight gives me *_C h i l l s)_* But even just with dialogue boxes, it still was an interesting experience.

[@movieboy01]

Yes, Chain of Memories had the BEST story of the franchise, and also yes, the only game that really showed actual conversations of the events and how it effects the trio.

[@jeskerjames3260]

Honestly the amount of customization for Re:Chain of Memories is under appreciated. Remember this was a remake of GBA game and to be able to have that many options for play style on a GBA game is impressive. The only thing I wish is that they had a New Game+ option where you could carry over your stats and cards you obtained and enemies were much stronger. Because there isn’t really a reason to get to level 99 otherwise and there isn’t a lot of enemies left to fight once you get the really good cards. Also having an Anti-Sora secret boss would be a nice call out to the multiplayer feature of the original GBA game where if you played with one of your friends they became an Anti-Sora vs your regular Sora. Maybe the Anti-Sora secret boss is programmed to copy your deck or something.

[@zingodoom]

"It's one hell of a show" coupled with that background footage - I see what you did there

[@daveshif2514]

Love the intelligent commentary! I would say thought that I super enjoyed the mysteries in dream drop. They didnt seem like a chore to me, I truly felt a deep literary metaphor while learning the plot of the game the first time.

[@MongoThinks]

Man, I gotta say that I have really enjoyed watching these KH videos. Just found you today and I've binged your KH World videos and Boss videos. You are freakin' hilarious and its been great reminiscing about KH 1.

[@lunarshadow5584]

I have always found CoM to be a great game, especially when the remake happened for 1.5, I call it my guilty pleasure game because it is the game others often trash on that I just can't help but love. The combat is something that I was able to easily understand and master through the Sora playthrough as it introduces me to the basic concept of initiating a combo to use a powerful ability.

[@JKBeck-dw7dd]

thank you for making this! i love CoM and honestly consider it one of my favorites in the series (after KH2 and Days). I've always been more of a story-over-gameplay type, so i've always just really deeply appreciated the storytelling in CoM and the darker themes and more introspective experience. I tend to prefer 'micro' plots over 'macro' plots - i'm more interested in character than worlds, and CoM excels in that. not to mention how much future games frequently tie back to CoM! (Ven hidden in the castle, the replicas, etc). And to be honest, though i prefer the gameplay of the rest of the series, i DID have a lot of fun with the deck building and using cards to strategically pick out rooms to generate on the map. also big agree - original CoM hits better than Re:CoM. there are a few scenes that i like how Re:CoM did better (particularly the Vexen execution - hard to beat the style of that snap immolation), but as a whole i prefer the delivery in CoM. The Org members seem even more full of personality (especially with those nicknames like 'Zexy' that were cut from Re:CoM), and the dubbing always felt awkward in Re:CoM to me. Lots of awkward pauses in sentences and strange pacing. So the undubbed text hit harder in emotional scenes in CoM. Plus, I prefer Sora still having his younger voice. Obviously this is no fault of the Re:CoM dub, but I like that with the younger voice in CoM, it makes the impact of Sora's voice being deeper hit harder in KH2 - it really makes it feel like, whoa, he really DID lose a whole year and grow so much while asleep. Plus, I just personally really liked the pixel art aesthetic of CoM. It was gorgeous. And I think it works really well with the isometric, generated rooms of the castle. Better than it does in the 3D space of Re:CoM (though of course that's just personal preference).

[@tino0988]

The GBA version was my first game in the series and I loved it. The moment you unlock Riku with his own story campaign were something I absolutely did not expected. I played ReCOM severly Years later on PS3 and it was ok. Never understand the hate on the battlesystem. It's more strategic but also pretty unique. Imo this is probably a thing because I played this before KH1.

[@Seriouspup]

Been binging your content lately for long drives and boring days. I think you do the long form essay style for kingdom hearts better than anyone I’ve subscribed to. Thanks Pat

[@Skullmakerdemon]

I can clearly remember how it all started for me: I was 7 or 8 years old when I got my hands on Kingdom Hearts 1. It was an Easter gift from my Uncle (Who introduced me to Final Fantasy as well). I remember absolutely loving this game and being stunned by this mix of Disney characters and Final Fantasy. When I approached the end of elementary school my parents proposed a deal: "If your grades are good enough at the end of elementary school, you'll get the Kingdom Hearts CoM Gameboy Advance SP with the game". Needless to say, I was driven by the desire to get my hands on a new Kingdom Hearts game and tried my best.....But I failed. Initally my parents told me "Well, tough luck." But they were kind enough to let the whole thing stand there in the living room. Every time I had the opportunity (When they went grocery shopping or something), I'd rush to the living room, get the Gameboy out of the packaging and play CoM, with one eye watching the window to see when they returned. After a while they simply handed the gameboy to me. Kingdom Hearts changed my entire life and made it better. Some people say video games are for kids and adults have "better things to do". But remember: Time you enjoyed spending with something is not wasted. Keep on, bois.

[@NCProjectM]

GBA CoM was my first KH game, so the repeat of disney worlds didnt matter to me. Also blizzard raid is just so satisfying to hit compared to RECoM. I played CoM so much I noticed they changed some of the dialogue, particularly where Axel says "It's about time you gave me one hell of a show" in CoM, they remove the curse word in RECoM. Totally agreed that the organization was super interesting here, this game and days together have some of the more captivating story to me just because it gives a clear picture of the entire organization. As opposed to II where half of them are dead off screen. Also playing as Riku was amazing and I wish we could in a mainline game for more than 5 mins. Good vid, keep it up!

[@jonoinvielleicht4803]

Yeah, I recommend the manga in case you are interested in the story. There are much more interesting character moments, some are funny, some are even darker then the game AND you can see the fake memories Namine created in Sora's and Replica Rikus heads.

[@DictatorAtWill]

I'm glad to finally see someone speaking positively about CoM. It seems like every review, retrospective, and reflection on youtube is just needlessly berating a game that -despite its problems- is still pretty fun. I've never regretted replaying this entry, even if I don't look forward to it as much as 1 or 2.

[@Kahtisemo]

I was totally obsessed with this game back in the day. I had the GBA version first and while I know people get mad about the card system, it almost feels like it was meant to be that way. Fighting actually gets easier the further you get in as you gain more summons, larger deck space, and even if the enemies are harder, a well built deck can let you go into mindless "tap A" mode anywhere but the boss fights. But even in the early stages, the limitation can be challenging but as you said it also gives you some real strategy moments. And the game rewards you for persistence with the upgrades. Granted most seem to prefer games the other way where it's easy first and gets harder as you go on, but I kind of like it. Sort of like the Rougue-like games that are seeing popularity now like Hades (where early game seems to want you to fail but stuff opens up the further you get in.) One of the funniest things I remember was when Re:CoM came out and I had like four people call me to tell me the news because all my friends knew how much I loved it. And then the last time I got to play it, I told my friends how I was going through the whole game on Proud mode but every time i said that, the response was always "...Why?" Since they all hated the card system and just played easy for the plot. You said just about everything I could have imagined. Especially on how the character interactions are so important that we never see from our main trio. Even the note about Jimminy being acknowledged beyond his initial introduction. There's a scene in Monstro at the end where he talks about his feelings about Pinocchio no longer needing him that just hit me even as a kid how bittersweet it is and how nice it was to be addressed when they could have had more input in KH1. Also all the talk about the worlds internal plots connecting to the main plot. And I could just go in but ahhh~ thank you.

[@danielevans7439]

I remember loving COM, but then again I really like procedurally-generated dungeons in games, especially when you have a part in constructing the world map. The story held up really well for a GBA game, and the second story was an absolute surprise and a ton of fun. I hope I can find a copy again and play through at least one more time. Edit: the “murder” is the part that was really intriguing. I played COM after KH2, so I was wondering why not all the members of OrgXIII were there. Turns out they were dead. Unfortunately, that had to all be taken away in 3D and KH3, but I’m sure that wasn’t the plan way back when Org members were assasinating one another.

[@Mqstodon]

I mean why not? It was saïx that wanted to get them killed, so it makes sense xemnas or xehanort would bring them back instead

[@danielevans7439]

@@Mqstodon idk. I’m almost done replaying COM and will get to 358/2 Days sometime this year. I just don’t recall it being address how killing OrgXIII members helps if they’re going to come back anyway. I haven’t finished BBS or KH3, so maybe I’m missing something. Still, the story still felt solid before anyone knew they’d come back.

[@OneColdRepublican]

The GBA version of Kingdom Hearts was my first experience. If one of the complaints was that this was just a retreading of old, then I personally didn't feel that. I didn't even know there was a first game. I'm fact it actually made the whole KH experience that much more exciting from a meta perspective. Blissfully unaware, child me played this game and said "it's cool that I'm traveling to different disney worlds with Donald and Goofy". This was before I started making connecting dots and asking questions, the first of which "wait why am I traveling with these two????". And then I found and played KH1 and to this day in glad I went that direction. To play CoM is like getting an appetizer before the main dish which is the first game. I just found it more exciting that way. TLDR; *Child me took it at face value and assumed Sora was just a random kid who happened to know Donald and Goofy and just decided to go into a mysterious castle one day. Because of course your friends with Disney characters, there EVERYBODY'S friend.*

[@kevintyson1947]

completely agree with all of this. CoM was my first kh game as well and didnt even know kh1 was a thing until I think later on when Sora said some stuff about beating Ansem and I was like wtf is Ansem? lol but the gameplay was fun

[@KeybladeAndy]

I love how dark that game is honestly. It is so different from the other titles that it's like Wow this was a thing!

[@averageplayers5288]

I only played through GBA COM once and the feeling of pure wonder was only matched by the first game. This game toes the line between “fun friendly adventure” and “Watership Down death scenes” beautifuly.

[@XohjaiSbarkeater]

Yeah i guess im sold. I guess that game informer review way back when shaped my opinion of a game in a series tha, at the point that I read the article (like 10-13 YO),was great in game in story and game play and would have its ups and downs. But seeing as how they did the same with BBS and Im about to replay it for the 4th or 5th time rn and the fact that this video really shed enough light to give me not only a good review as us fanbois enjoy, but also left some mystery to it. This is great for me as im at an age where I value story over gameplay when it comes to KH. Im glad this channel got recommended to me. You're great RealPat.

[@yojoehojo4291]

I started playing through Re:CoM recently again and I think at one point in the lower floors they contextualize, indirectly, the attack abilities and Worlds being cards by those being his drawn memories pulled out by Naminé and that he needs to literally look at them to remember how to do those attacks, spells, summons, and what those worlds were like because he literally can't focus his mind due to the "amnesiac fog" that he's had since stepping into the Castle. Like, you going through a world after raising the world card up is actually just Sora doing the mental acrobatics to truly remember the details of his time in that place which is why characters don't remember their lines or certain things are much more of a slow process than they genuinely were in KH1. This is also why it would be easy to place in new memories about Naminé and worlds he's never seen. I think while Naminé has general control over Sora's memory, I don't think it's as powerful as most people think. I think she can only "unweave" memories so they don't seem as tangible which would then make your mind foggy, kind of like a moment of personal disassociation but longer-term until she weaves them back together on her own time as she does in KH2 for Roxas (and for a little while with Xion in Days but thats because her presence was overpowering Roxas as you know). So, when the memories are foggy placing in a new element by simply having someone question if they knew someone or a place would be extremely easy. Basically, the overarching premise of CoM is about how relationships can be toxic and gaslighting. Which is extremely dark to think about, especially in the context of this happy go lucky series about how the relationships you have can make you stronger against the trials of your heart and how bad it can be to follow just logic. I'm like... the only person who puts this much thought into Kingdom Hearts besides you. I honestly should make a video about my thoughts at some point.

[@skibot9974]

I’ve tried the gameplay on two occasions (once on a gba emulator and once on the PS4) and got to the point where I hit a wall as I’m not good about watching my deck, keeping track of cards and eye on the enemy. I admire the effort of the devs but I feel it would’ve been better to just make a traditional turn based RPG. Though I do plan or replaying KH1 soon and maybe I’ll give chain of memories another go after that Regardless I love the story. It cemented Riku as my favorite character. Made Sora more developed, introduced Axel and the organization. Also Namine is best girl in the franchise without hesitation

[@chrisfromcali6376]

This was such a great watch! I definitely think Square could take some notes from this game’s story. Keeping things self-contained really benefits the characters and prevents them from falling into simple archetypes as I find them doing in other entries (specifically kh3 and DDD). The themes are heavily focused on with every aspect of the writing. Best story in the series.

[@mcmachan9867]

After 18 years I finally beat the first Kingdom Hearts game, a game I was only teased with through my entire childhood. Got to play it here and there, but never the full thing. An absolutely fantastic experience, it feels like a missing part of my childhood and brings me back to being a kid again. I was invested in the story and characters so I dived right into Re Chain of Memories, but after an hour of gameplay I've come to the conclusion that it's one of the most un-fun games I've ever played. Watched all the cutscenes on KZbin, love the story & characters, but that gameplay just killed it for me.

[@bretdeshotel7598]

I love how dark chain is

[@Tankotater]

The part about having to wait till christmas eve to get it hit home with me. I remember mother always coming back from stores insisting they didn't have it.

[@Andrewpantalion]

So glad you made this. I’ve always had a soft spot for this game’s story. Namine’s theme is still one of my favorite pieces of music. It just captures hope, melancholy, and longing. I wished you wouldn’t have touched more on Riku’s side of the game though. Getting to play a story from his perspective in this title is what cemented him as my favorite character.

[@freddykingofturtles]

Chain of Memories was my first KDH game. I was absurdly confused. That said, a deck of cards you have to try and remember, memorize, and think about really felt like a good way to make the player feel like they were struggling to remember. And that was cool.

[@TheKarishi]

I like that as awful as she is, Larxene isn't WRONG when she says Sora's delusional. She gives away the whole game about how they planted memories in his head and he decides they're real enough to kill her over which is both a power move and Extremely Stupid.

[@yearsofDeath-vv7nl]

I sucked hard at this game when it first came out but I was a young lad. I was able to appreciate it much more when I played it again on the remake. Very under rated and one of the only reasons I wanted to play it was so I could get the Organization 13 fix. They leave you blind it KH2 so you got to go back to COM and see what you missed.