Kingdom Hearts' presence on Nintendo systems has a rather strange history. Many titles have come to Nintendo’s platforms in the past, but in the eyes of theKingdom Heartsfandom, these games are not held to the same esteem as the original numerical installments. At the same time though, in between the major numbered titles, much of the heavy lifting forKingdom Hearts' story has fallen on these Nintendo games. For example, the events betweenKingdom Hearts 1and2are told inChain of Memoriesfor the GBA and358/2 Daysfor the DS.
While Nintendo has not been deprived ofKingdom Heartscontent, then, Nintendo’s library of the series' games is incomplete. In the early 2010s, Square Enix began releasing compilation packages that saw the originalKingdom Heartsgames plus the content of the handheld ones remastered for new consoles. Originally these packages were exclusively for the PS3 but eventually saw release on PS4, Xbox and even onPC through the Epic Games Store earlier this year. The series' most hallowed titles have been unplayable on Nintendo systems, until now, as Nintendo and Square Enix have finally changed the narrative with the following releases.
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Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 HD Remix Cloud Version
This is by far the largest game out of the three Square Enix is releasing.Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 HD RemixCloud Versionis in essence, a bundle ofKingdom Heartsfirst decade as a franchise, capturing all of the content (more or less) from this time period. For games it includesKingdom Hearts Final Mix,Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories,Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix, andKingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix, HD remasters of the definitive versions of these games. The game also features remastered cinematics forKingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, andKingdom Hearts Re: Coded, giving players an opportunity to experience those games' stories, just not play them.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Cloud Version
Compared to the previous collection,Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter PrologueCloud Versionhas significantly less content, but is still an excellent bundle nonetheless. This collection includes two games:Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD, a remaster of the 3DS game; andKingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep -A fragmentary passage-, a continuation of Aqua’s story following the events of Birth by Sleep. Additionally, the collection hasKingdom Hearts x Back Cover, a movie about the Foretellers set long before the events of the original game. The biggest contribution of this collection is how it sets the stage forKingdom Hearts 3both narratively and gameplay-wise.
Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind DLC Cloud Version
InKingdom Hearts 3+ Re Mind DLC Cloud Version, players will get to experience the climactic conclusion to theKingdom Heartsstory thus far. Sora, Donald, and Goofy set out for adventure one more time, freeing Disney worlds from darkness, and running into many familiar faces along the way. Bundled in is alsoKingdom Hearts 3’sRe MindDLC, offering additional story and gameplay content not available in the base game. It is a beautiful game and a fitting finale for the series up to this point, though there is a little bit more story to tell inKingdom Hearts Melody of Memoryif players are so inclined.
It is worth mentioning that all three of these compilations are cloud versions of what are originally full-fledged releases on other platforms. Being a cloud version means that players will be streaming these games to their Switch instead of playing them off of a cartridge or by downloading them off the Nintendo eShop. Nintendo has slowly been releasing more games that are compatible with this service, like the upcomingSwitch versions ofDying Light 2andGuardians of the Galaxy. While this service allows for more demanding games to technically be playable on the Switch, due to the high-speed internet requirement to stream them, the Switch’s portability is effectively nixed.
Kingdom Hearts1.5 + 2.5 HD Remix Cloud Version,Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue Cloud Version, andKingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind DLC Cloud Versionare coming soon to the Switch.
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