The latest Kingdom Hearts release is now out in the west. Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD is a HD collection that features Kingdom Hearts 1, Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, as well as a "movie" version of the DS exclusive Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. It is a PlayStation 3 exclusive that is also sold at a discounted price of $39.99 as opposed to the standard $59.99.
Although Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD is in fact an HD collection of the two games (and "movie"), it also has new content as well. The version of Kingdom Hearts 1 is actually the Final Mix version which was never released outside of Japan. This Final Mix contains new cutscenes, new bosses to battle, as well as a few other extras which help tie Kingdom Hearts 1 into the rest of the series (such as the inclusion of a scene which actually ties the game in with 358/2 Days). On top of that, the game has also been completely rebuilt from the ground up and updated for the Kingdom Hearts 2 style of play. The game uses the Kingdom Hearts 2 controls, as well as the KH2 "Reaction Commands" which were a sort of special move that was different depending on which type of enemy you were facing.
Now it doesn't matter if you've played Kingdom Hearts before or not. If you're a long time fan, you really should pick up this collection just for the new features, and if you've never played series before, this is your perfect chance to jump in. It really is a great series, at it is sure to bring nostalgia to everyone who picks it up. Still, don't let the Disney characters fool you, Kingdom Hearts is a dark emotional rollercoaster that is willing to go where some games wouldn't dare.
