I'll admit I wasn't the biggest fan of KH1, but man, has the hype swept me up - and in just under a day, to boot!  After viewing a demo today, I was quite impressed; the game looks amazing, the camera seems improved, and the cast list is looking aces.  If the story's pacing is right, and it holds itself together, I may end up liking this lots.  Either way, I'll be picking up the game this week.  Anyone else?

I'm wondering, though, just how much of the story I won't be able to "get," having not played Chain of Memories proper?

And, of course, Nomura talks of milking.

Just, uh, read the game script at GameFAQs.

Chain of Memories really is quite a good game aside from it's glaring failures.

It also has probably the most interesting original characers in the series, which is why <SPOILERS> most of them get killed off. </SPOILERS>

I really really wish I had a PS2. Or that it was still possible to rent video game consoles in my area. Kingdom Hearts is a guilty pleasure. It's very amazingly and fantastically stupid, and sometimes it even realizes it and thrives on this.

Unfortunately, going that path kind of threw out most of the storyline's potential....

Read the "Chain of Memories" script. Knowledge of it is practically required to enjoy KH2 to the fullest.

Someone put together a video showing all of the dialogue of both the original and extra mode in the game.  I just watched it, myself, since I never played the game.

http://files.filefront.com/4905155/

Probably will, in spite of myself.

There's two types of games I try to dive into right away: those that need my support and/or are in limited supply (like your Ape Escapes and Phoenix Wrights), and those that are likely to be spoiled for me by raging jackasses within 36 hours (any Zelda or FF*, for example).

If the game lives up to its considerable hype, I want the experience pure. If not, it's probably the last time I drink Squix's Kool-Aid.

Well, unless KH3 has Uncle Scrooge.

* - barring those I don't care about, like the online FF.

Actually, he's in KH2.

Just, um, for two seconds or something.

Ouch, IGN's review of KH2 is up.  http://ps2.ign.com/articles/698/698697p1.html  All the hype for a 7.6.

Well, I read the review, and honestly the complaints don't sway me.

No magic? Fine by me. Outside of Cure I didn't use any in the original.
Combat simple and power-ups frequent? Good. That makes it accessible, and I can share it with my niece without having to do EVERY FRIGGING BOSS for her. A hard game can be satisfying, but so too can an easy one when one is frustrated with a difficult one besides. I think a big reason I enjoyed Legend of Mana as much as I did is that I was just coming off of Vagrant Story, which was very ARGH the first time.
Small areas? Not exactly new to KH.

It's nice to see a review that pulls the general consensus a little closer to earth, but most of these complaints are things I was expecting to deal with anyway. So if KH2 = KH1 - irritation + better story, I can live with that.

Same here about the magic. One of the most irritating aspects of KH1 was its clumsy magic system, and I'm glad they got rid of it for KH2. I just hope they've stabilized the camera.

And talking about KH, I've just started CoM. Boy, I'm gonna get slaughtered in this game. And yes, I fully intend on picking up KH2 -- got it preordered, in fact. When I'll actually get around to PLAYING it is a different story. ^_~

I think that Dais' comment "Chain of Memories really is quite a good game aside from it's glaring failures" is accurate in the same way that you could say "shit is really yummy aside from the taste of shit". I found Chain of Memories to be one of the most dull games I have ever played. I couldn't bring myself to finish it. The combat system is awful and there is nothing else the game. Nothing.

If you're just starting it, I'd advise just reading the transcript and maybe stabbing yourself with a fork for an overall more enjoyable experience.

I disagree with both of you, here. Aero was the only thing keeping me alive in some fights, and Blizzard and it's many variants were perfect for dealing death to those little mage looking things that floated in the air (which, incidentally, were amongst the most annoying creatures in the game).

Admittedly, the summons weren't as great all around as they are in other games that incorporated them. They weren't "charge for admission" beautiful as we've come to expect from Squenix, and they didn't do enough damage to warrant using up your magic meter.

You actually managed to pull off casting magic -- and apparently more advanced magic, as well; I never knew there were summons -- while running around and avoiding enemy hits? I bow down to you. The main reason I didn't use magic aside from the basic Cure and maybe some elemental magic was because I was too caught up with trying to figure out where the enemies were, avoiding them, then trying to hit them, rather than scrolling through my magic reel, which could hold, what, only 3 spells? The manual dexterity alone needed to scroll through your magic AND move around was more than I could handle, heh.

I also found CoM to be a colossal bore. I got pretty far in it before I gave up. The story was the only thing keeping me going and it wasn't enough to save the battle system and static gameplay.

Yeah, the story was the only thing that got me through the horrible combat system in Chain of Memories.  At least the second quest (avoiding spoilers) is a lot less painful by way of not having to work on your own card decks.  The whole card system seemed about as sloppy and irritating to work with as the first game's gummi ship.  At least the gummi ship wasn't a big part of the original game... :\

please don't ever post again

Seriously, if you think there was something massively wrong with the Chain of Memories battle system then you're pretty much not working with it. It wasn't perfect, but it was a damn sight better than what was in the original KH.

About 3.5 hours in. It's not a bad game, but it's so f---ing easy.  Play this on hard, folks, do yourself a favour; you don't even have to look at the screen to finish battles: just push x repeatedly.  But, it's gorgeous and the story is neat...tons of cutscenes, though.

Just started up the game, am on The 6th Day, and I will say this: the story is one big mindfuck.  I'm guessing I'd better go ahead and read that Chain of Memories script after all.

Other quick observations and thoughts, hidden for potential spoiler reasons:

Those jobs to earn money drove me up the wall.

Seeing Raijin and Fujin again was cool. 

So they brought in the voice actor who did Mega Man do Vivi, eh?

Seeing Setzer again was doubly-cool. 

Why did I think Hayner was Zell?

I agree with all of this, except the first part. I waited until the Land of Dragons to read said script, and now kinda wish I'd waited until I finished the game instead. You kind of have a better idea of what's coming after reading it, which is a bummer for a fan of mindfucks like myself, heh.

Also, that third marker in white: Seriously?

Has anyone noticed that the voice acting for Roxas and his loser friends is significantly downgraded from the voice acting that was in the original Kingdom Hearts? And I really can't stand that group.

Overall, the game deviates a bit from Kingdom Hearts for me to hold it in the same regard. I hear they did away with the magic system, which mystifies me, and these new characters are utter losers.

I think that, for the next Kingdom Hearts, I would very much like to see other Squaresoft characters, as it seems unfair to just have FF characters when there are so much more interesting ones out there.

I did, and whenever I mention that, I get lambasted because KH character X played Anime character Y in American Dub Z!!! It seems like the majority regard the likes of That Guy Who Plays Spike Spiegel and The Guy Who Plays The Bad Guy in Naruto as grade A talent, but I consider them overused mediocrity. I was a little disappointed that Squenix/Disney dipped into the standard dubbing acting pool this time around (though I have been impressed with some new voices, they are generally provided by talented actors).

In truth, I do find the fragmented way of storytelling and presumed logic of the game rather compelling.  Maybe, then, I should hold off on the script.

Actually, I couldn't say for certain.  I only made the comment, since the voice seemed so close in comparison.  At least, it was brought to my mind, anyway.

I'm thinking that has more to do with the dialogue than anything else, because really, the acting itself doesn't seem so bad to me.   As for the group itself, I grew rather attached to them by the end of the "summer vacation."  The farewell scene was surprisingly touching.

Well, there's most certainly a magic system in place, although it doesn't become accessible until you start hitting the "main quest."  Mm.... just how far are you in the game right now?

Ahh, the Gummi Ship.  Playing KH2's incarnation of the mini-game got me thinking that we need more of these on-rail, yet exorbitantly moving blistering shooter type games.  Seriously, can you imagine a shooter in this vein, made up on, say, Lindbergh hardware?  My heart just skipped a few beats at the thought.

By the way, the other day I was playing L.A. Machine Guns at the arcade..... using both guns at the same time.  Definitely a thrill, but a bad idea when all was said and done; my arms are still throbbing with pain from the intense recoil.

Not reading anyone's spoilers or any replies below this one for now, but I have to say the CoM story was one big mindfuck, too. (Yes, I finally read the script after dying for the third time at Hades, which I chose as my third floor.) I couldn't keep track of all the names and who was plotting what against whom and how....

On an aside, is there any way to skip entire scenes in CoM?!? I wouldn't be so dead against continuing that game if I could only skip scenes. As it is, I've had to go through the entire long thing with Hades three times now....

Nope, no skip in CoM.

You'd think people would've learned by now, wouldn't you?
Especially since even KH 1 offered this option (well, final mix did)

Actually, you can skip the story segments in CoM by simply pressing and holding the Start button for a short while. Although I'm not quite sure if it only works after you have seen the scene once (ie. if die on a boss and choose Continue), but it's certainly a nervesaving feature later in the game. :)

Yeah, the whole holding-start-until-the-scene-skips-ahead thing is a little known fact about CoM.  I wish someone had told me about it before I was nearly done with the second quest.  :\

Just made it up to Port Royal, with the fighting driving me to the point of total numbness..... But on a whim, I just picked up the Bradygames Guide - not for the sake of actually needing a guide, but because of the sheer size of the thing.  It's a monster at 350 pages; I don't think I've seen a bigger American-based video game guide before. (Even Dragon Quest VIII was, what, 250 pages?)  Sad thing is, though, I hear it's not as complete as it could be.

^

Wow... Sadly, the first three hours of the game pretty much made me decide to put it on the shelf until after I've beaten Suikoden V. What a terrible beginning.

Good choice, Suikoden V is way superior to KH 2.

I've cleared the 'big' scenario in Hollow Bastion in one three-hour playsession, and hot damn, that was fun. Makes up for the utter disappointment of the Pride Lands, for sure.

As far as one game being "way superior" to the other, can't anybody just enjoy a game anymore without comparing it to everything else? *grump, grump*

Without reading anyone's posts....

Damn you people...I'm still on the 4th floor in Chain of Memories. And my playing has all but halted until next week because of various life events...

So far, The Timeless River was the most enjoyable for me.  The double-identity angle was neat, and "Monochrome Dreams" is now firmly supplanted in my head.

Just got through this part myself.  Verily, awesomeness.

All right, I thought I'd share my thoughts of the game now that I've reached the final world.
The text might contain some mildish S-P-O-I-L-E-R-S.

I'll start with the flaws.

-Mena Suvari is horribe as Aerith. She stated in an interview that she has never done anything like this before, and you sure can tell. I was expecting WAY more since she is a decent actress, so I'm really disappointed with her work in the game. Lucky Suvari doesn't have a big role in Advent Children.

-"Let's resurrect the Disney bosses that got killed in both Kingdom Hearts and Chain of Memories! It'll be so much fun killing them the third time!" So not. Oogie Boogie comes back to life. Maleficent does as well. And so do Jafar, Ursula, and Hades. Sure there are also other big enemies in their respective worlds, but where's the imagination for god's sake?

-Certain returning worlds. What's the big deal? Halloween Town could have been left out. Atlantica is actually amusing, which surprised me.

-Sanctuary sucks ass big time. The lyrics are awful.

-Lip sync is rushed. In the Japanese version, lip movements matched speech perfectly.

-The game is too easy in normal mode, which obviously should have been named "easy mode".

-NO SOFT RESET DAMMIT which is *very* annoying if you're using Swap Magic. And since the game is easy, it's almost impossible to die when fighting normal fiends. That, my friends, results in pissed me swapping discs just to load another save file instead of conveniently pressing the shoulder buttons + start & select.

-Some worlds are rather small, hence a short-ish game (roughly 30-35 hours without skipping scenes)

Its strenghts?

+Music. It fits perfectly. Was a disappointment at first, mainly due to crappy synth, but it works in-game.

+Character animation is mostly good.

+Graphics, ESPECIALLY in Pride Lands and Beast's Castle. Squenix sure has the know-how.

+Overall, the voice cast is amazing (of course excluding that bitch Mena Suvari). DiZ, Organization's number IX and Roxas really impressed me. Also the people replacing Johnny Depp (James Arnold Taylor!) and Orlando Bloom did an excellent job.

+SKIP SCENE.

+Reaction commands.

+The new command menus and shortcuts.

+Very entertaining Gummi Ship travelling

+Camera = huge improvement. And for those of you who don't think it's gotten any better at all, why don't you compare with KH and Shadow of the Colossus?

+GOOD STORY OK?

Phew. That's all I could think of. For now, at least.

I will say that there is a difference between complicated and convoluted---neither of which translates to deep or an inherent automatic plus.  Not that I was saying that you were, but I've played Square games before and am familiar with their formula---by that criteria alone I make that statement as I have yet to play Kingdom Hearts II.