One of the games that makes me feel the most nostalgia is Square and Disney’s first Kingdom Hearts game for PlayStation 2. In reality, Kingdom Hearts wasn’t really my sort of game, so I was surprised at how I fell in love with it when I first started playing it. Released in 2002, Kingdom Hearts is an RPG that centers on Sora, Kairi, and Riku as they navigate a Disney infused, and magical world while battling shadowy, dark creatures known as the Heartless. There were also plenty of cameos by Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and even Final F antasy characters showed up in the game. I could not wait to get home and play this game. I mean, I feel down the gaming rabbit hole so fast and so deep, it was a wonder I found myself again. It was a visually stunning game, filled with color and amazing effects.
Part of what got me interested in the game was the theme song. I was minding my own business when this awesome, techno (there is also an acoustic version) song comes on featuring Utada Hikaru’s incredible voice. It was Utada’s “Simple and Clean” that was blaring through the TV’s speakers, and it made me pause long enough to watch the commercial for the game and determine that I needed it to live. As soon as it came out, I had it and the rest is history. Even until today, I cannot think of “Simple and Clean” without thinking of Kingdom Hearts and how much fun it was to play. And it’s still a kickass song. Check it out: