I've recently begun playing Kingdom Hearts on a playstation 2 emulator. Back in the dia I was a big fã of Final fantasia when I played the seventh game on my friend's console (which he had loaned to me whilst he was away in America for a summer). Although I didn't play many of the other games (only having a family PC) I did have Final fantasia VIII. I was also aware that there was a game which fused elements of Final fantasia with disney characters. Not owning a playstation (or console of any kind) it wasn't something I looked into in great detail and time marched on.

When I discovered that there are now emulators for these old consoles and there was the opportunity to play games which had once seeme liked pipe dreams I pursued it with enthusiasm.

And so it is, that I decided I would start posting some thoughts about Kingdom Hearts and how it relates to the world of disney as another addition to my rapidly expanding disney blog.

The first stage of Kingdom Hearts introduces us to the main character Sora. In what is clearly a dream sequence, we meet two other characters and then find ourselves controlling Sora in a strange black void, punctuated only por enormous platforms decorated with disney princesses. The first platform is Snow White. As we work through the game mechanics and make a few choices (a sword, a Mickey-Ear topped magic wand or a shield), we mover to other platforms depicting Cinderalla, Aurora and Belle. Each platform is beautifully designed with the aesthetic of a stained glass window.

Eventually you battle a 'boss' called Darkside - a huge black monster. Once defeated, Sora awakes from his nightmare to find himself on Destiny Island.