Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

By the time I finished with Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, my left thumb felt like it was about to fall off. In fact, while playing through it, I frequently had to take breaks during long encounters to rest my aching D-pad hand. But through it all, I persisted. Yes, it's my job, but also because while I felt I had seen most of what the game had to offer long before the end, I wanted to continue on for more selfish reasons -- I wanted to know how the story ended. Days' story deals with the concept of souls (or in this case, hearts) and what exactly makes a person "real," as seen, mostly, through Roxas' point of view, as he works to understand who he is and where he came from. Regular Kingdom Hearts protagonist Sora is deep in a healing slumber after the events of Chain of Memories, with the witch Naminé working to put his memories back in place. Fans will recall playing as Roxas, Sora's "Nobody" (a strong person with no heart), at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2, and Days will take you through most of the 358 days of Roxas' life, from when he first joins Organization XIII leading up to the beginning of KH2.

Kingdom Hearts hits the DS, but something's lost in the miniaturization process.

In 2002, Disney teamed up with Final Fantasy creator Squaresoft to create Kingdom Hearts – a fusion of lighthearted Disney storytelling and classic Japanese role-playing game tenants. It was fun, it was fresh and a lot of people loved it. The 2006 sequel, Kingdom Hearts II, got a little less love and a whole lot of confusion on account of spending the first 12 hours of the game playing as somebody other than the main character. ...

"Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is a compelling action role-playing game that successfully blends Disney elements with an original cast and an absorbing plot that will both intrigue and surprise you. The game's fun battle system is exceptionally fast-paced, while new customization options, thrilling boss fights and an entertaining multiplayer mode will further hook you. 358/2 Days offers an enjoyable, nostalgic experience that never lets its simplicity or its occasional quirks undermine its appeal. "

We meet all the heartless members of Organization XIII in this Square Enix-Disney hybrid role-playing game.