Features:

  • Disney worlds and characters never before seen in KINGDOM HEARTS, such as Enchanted Dominion (Sleeping Beauty) and Castle of Dreams (Cinderella) will make their first appearances in KINGDOM HEARTS Birth by Sleep.
  • Unravel the mystery surrounding the origin of the KINGDOM HEARTS saga through the tales of three unique characters - Terra, Ventus and Aqua. The whole story is revealed only after playing through with all three characters
  • The familiar action-packed experience that fans have come to embrace returns with an enhanced battle system, with all new features such as Command Styles, Command Decks, Shotlocks and Dimension Links making it the most advanced KINGDOM HEARTS title to date
  • Share the excitement and fun with your friends with four brand-new multiplayer modes: Versus, Arena, Command Board and Rumble Racing
  • World renowned creator and character designer Tetsuya Nomura brings the the latest installment of Kingdom Hearts to life with vibrant, colorful and stunning graphics in 16:9 widescreen presentation made possible by the PSP system hardware
A perfect prequel to Kingdom Hearts 1.

Let me first note, i have been a longtime fan of this series. I have played Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep, and i am about to beat it with Aqua, and yes i know you have to play with all 3 to get the main plot. In anycase let me say in general Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep could have EASILY been on the PS3, it's graphics are really amazing and as is the storyline. At first glance i was kind of mad about the voice acting for Aqua and Terra, but after awhile it seems like the voice actors make a great transition and you get a feel like they belong in the universe. For combat, i thought it would be complex with these new "Battle mechanics" but essentially it was very easy to get into after awhile because the controls are similiar to the PS2 controller except with a new SHOTLOCK system which is like a homing device for your character to get multiple attacks on the enemies. As for the bad, and my only two gripes with this game, was that the worlds were a little bit smaller, but i give this a pass because it is a PSP and the game designers can only do so much in one little disc. Also the boss fights can be REALLY difficult or the enemies, but that was most likely because they run a pattern, but it can be complex if you are underleveled. Overall this game is worth a buy and the full price if you ask me, because it is exactly a Kingdom Hearts style game, it has 3 different stories with 3 characters, some collectibles, new worlds which is definitely a huge upgrade over past Kingdom Hearts games and especially a hidden part of the game once you get all of Xehanorts diarys.

Kingdom Hearts BBS with no BS

This product came new in plastic, and the gameplay was just like those youtube videos you probably looked at before buying this product. The only issue I have with this is that the PSP takes a while to load up the content. You'll be in the heat of battle and switch combat modes which you'll have to wait 3 or 4 seconds before you can start fighting again One feature that this game has is "Install Game" which takes up a lot of memory on your memory stick in order to shorten these loading times. I've done the highest install amount and I do have to say that the amount of load time this saves is somewhat smaller, perhaps by a couple of seconds or half seconds. Overall this product matches up with the gameplay you see on the youtube videos with exception to the short loading speeds.

Awesome Installment!

Without going into a lot of detail, the game is awesome and my one complaint is that I cant change the difficulty level as I should have picked a harder one then "Normal" which is ideal for the "casual gamer". The fights are very easy for me, but that's not the games fault, after reading instructions I found out "Normal" is ideal for what they call the casual gamer. I disagree with that as I would say I am a casual gamer. The best way to judge for yourself is ask, have you played any of the Kingdom Hearts games and found the trash mobs easy? If yes, normal will be a breeze. Also, have you sliced through any God of War titles with ease as well? If so, same thing, dont do Normal. The game is extremely fun, the changes in game play and combat are great, I esp like the way you can get different finishing moves and graphics based on the over all way you fight /cast spells. The stories are cool, the characters are cool, the graphics are VERY nice and amazingly there is an option to install the game onto your memory card to speed up load times! Additionally, there is also a setting in the menu for graphic acceleration!!! The game suggests using the wall charger for game play in this mode but I only loose about 1 bar per hour on mine!

Kingdom hearts: birth by sleep is an amazing experience

So here i am, at a coffee shop by my place, playing some birth by sleep while im eating a donut, when all of the sudden the legend himself macho man randy savage leaps through the front window, and stands on top of my table as he takes off his glasses and loudly inhales. "WHAT YOU GOT THERE BROTHER!?" He roars with the most righteous of roars. "J-just a psp Mr. Macho man randy savage sir." I mumble, "WELL WHAT GAME YOU PLAYIN BROTHER" "k-kingdom h-hearts birth by sleep sir." I say. "WELL HAND IT HERE BROTHER, I GOT A THIRST NOT EVEN THE RING CAN QUENCH, A THIRST ONLY QUENCHABLE WITH SOME KINGDOM HEARTS PSP ACTION BROTHER!" i hand him the psp and he begins to play. Only then do i realise that it isnt actually macho man Randy Savage in the flesh, but xemnas, the main antagonist of kingdom hearts II, i try to punch him in the face but i realise that im still playing my psp, in the dark, in my bed that is on the second floor of my home, at 4 am. The final boss was terra heading to a coffee shop only to be approached by xemnas disguising as macho man randy savage in the flesh.

An absolutely amazing experience

Having played Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 years ago, I skipped most of the other iterations of the Kingdom Hearts series either because I didn't have the console (DS) or because the games just didn't seem to have the same appeal (Chain of Memories). Shortly before picking up my PSP I heard a lot of really great things about this game, with most reviews saying it had a good story, graphics, and an improved combat system, but a quirky camera. Having put almost 43 hours into the game, over the course of 10 days (having completed it yesterday), I can honestly say this game has been one of the most enjoyable I've played in the last year. The game features a combat system similar to the first two Kingdom Hearts games, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. The story, while a little confusing because we follow three (playable) characters, is pretty good. I only wish I had remembered more about the first Kingdom Hearts, since it's a prequel to the events that take place there (although if you haven't played the other games in the series you'll still do fine). I'm once again a little embarrassed that I'm enjoying a game featuring Disney characters, but Square once again merges the different characters together very nicely. Voice acting for all characters is decent to great. As noted above, I've put at least 42 hours into the game, completing each character's stories, and the final episode, but could easily put a dozen hours more into the game getting further completion and in the arena (which is still enjoyable, even though I don't know anyone else with a PSP). All-in-all, I give this game 5 stars across the board. Square and Disney have really hit the mark with this game.

Best KH Game Yet!!!

Okay, so I am a huge fan of the Kingdom Hearts franchise. As a result, I was very, very excited for the latest installment, Birth by Sleep. So excited, in fact, that I actually went out and bought a PSP just so I could play it. $170 for the system, $30 for the memory card and $45 to get this game on release date. Was it worth the almost $250 I paid to play it? Absolutely. In case you're not aware, Birth by Sleep is a prequel to the Kingdom Hearts series, taking place roughly ten years before Sora's tale kicks off. Does this mean you can just jump in? Well, yes and no. A lot of what is contained in this game is nods and winks for what will come later in the series, so if you haven't played KH, Chain of Memories, KH II or 358/2 days yet, you might miss some of these (but I doubt that would be critical). This game, if nothing else, begins the tale by explaining a lot about why a lot of the things that happened in the series did, so it's beautiful for continuity. About the storyline of this game specifically: there are three. That's right, three beautifully interwoven stories. You play as Terra, Ventus and Aqua - three students yearning to become Keyblade Masters. But right at the beginning, their fates take a twist, and you end up separated. You can play as all three characters in any order you desire. (Though Terra, Ventus, then Aqua is the order recommended by the game's designer). In my opinion, the story build-up through each *individual* story is kinda sub-standard compared to the rest of the KH series, but putting the stories together makes it just as awesome as its predecessors. As far as gameplay is concerned, I have to say that it is, by far, the best combat system that the Square Enix has come up with yet. The command deck system is a good compromise between the standard battle system of KH and KH II and the Panel system of 358/2 Days. (Thankfully they neglected to add anything of the horrid card system that Chain of Memories sported.) They also added a couple of new features. One, for instance, is the addition of "Shot Lock" commands. Using this neat feature, you can lock on to a large number of enemies (or just one enemy repeatedly) to unleash multiple attacks simultaneously, even sometimes launching massive combos that can do insane damage. One big difference in this game is that there is virtually no party to help you in combat. Every so often you'll get a little help for a boss fight, but it's mostly you on your own for the majority of the game. But, to counteract this, they added a D-Link feature. Basically, when you switch D-Link mode on, you can get different command decks based on the character you linked with. You can also get powerups that are shaped like stars as you defeat enemies in D-Link mode that will strengthen the deck, give you a new finish command, and make it more powerful overall. That is something I neglected to mention about combat. There is the addition of "Finish" commands. As you unleash combos against enemies, you will fill a combo bar. The more damage you do, the faster it fills. Once it fills completely, your character will unleash a "finish" command, which can evolve into several more powerful versions as the game progresses. Also, if you use deck commands (attacks, magic or both) in the middle of building up a bar, you can sometimes trigger different combat styles. This will allow you to build your combo bar up again, while using far more powerful attack patterns - maybe powered up by lighting your keyblade on fire, or by dealing critical damage with every strike (very similar to Limit Attacks in Days). Oh yes, and to make sure your commands are leveled up as far as they can be, you have several options. One great one is playing on the new Command Board feature. That's right, the designers at Square Enix added a fully functional board game to the KH game. And trust me, it is really a lot of fun. Plus, as you play, your attacks and commands will get stronger. How cool is that? But if board games just aren't your style, you can also go try the Mirage Arena. You can either play multiplayer and try to compete either with or against your friends, or go it alone for some really tough battles. And all the while you can collect loads of XP to make your character strong. Not sure i've missed anything else. So as far as gameplay, it's absolutely outstanding, by far the best in the series (and one of the best I've ever played - and I've played a lot). When it comes to story, it's pretty much par-for-the-course, but trust me, Square's set the bar very high, so even par is very good. No digital version, so you'd better by the UMD if you have a PSP and like Kingdom Hearts. Heck, you should buy this even if you *don't* like Kingdom Hearts - yet.

Awesome game for even nongamers

I wouldn't consider myself a gamer. Sure, I have a PS2 at home with a dozen or so games acquired by my dad, but many of them have hardly been touched since we've bought them and are just collecting dust on one of our shelves. Most of these are sports games too, or car racing games for my brother, and - don't get me wrong, he loves them, but it gets kind of boring when you play the same thing over and over again. So none of us are avid gamers. That all changed when we got the first Kingdom Hearts game. For a person who had never heard of Final Fantasy or other RPG games before, it was mind-blowing. The graphics were amazing, the storyline was engaging and original, and overall, it was just plain fun. It's also the only game that my brother and I are willing to play over and over and over again, because the story never gets old. The sequels only get better from there, and Birth By Sleep is no exception. Technically, the game is regarded as Kingdom Hearts 0, since its story precedes the first game, but whatever. It's slightly different from the original in that it has better camera control and reaction commands (triggered by the triangle button), which carry over from the gameplay from Kingdom Hearts II, but in all honesty, that makes it much, much better (and a lot more fun). Reaction commands in particular change up the way your character fight, and it adds a lot more dimension to the battle so that you aren't just doing a three-hit combo every time, which is what the original game offered. And the camera fix was a big plus, since it's now near impossible to have your view obscured by some obstacle during battle (believe me, this can get really frustrating). There's also the added bonus that one of the main characters (Ventus) looks like Roxas. If you've followed the series, you'll know that Roxas shows up in Kingdom Hearts II as a playable character only in the beginning, and there were a ton of fans who wished he stayed that way. Although they aren't the same people, playing as Ventus does alleviate this desire a bit. All in all, it's a great buy, and I'd recommend the game to anyone, even if they haven't played anything else in the series before. The thing is, it's fairly long, so just make sure you've got time for all of it.

Very Good portable version of an excellent series

Like a lot of people I was skeptical when I bought my first Kingdom Hearts game. I mean come on!! An RPG set in Disney movie worlds? How can you pull that off? Well, Square did pull it off and Kingdom Hearts is now one of my favourite series. Birth By Sleep is a very good prequel. Is it the best of the series? I don't know, honestly all of the Playstation games are very good.... Either way this one does hold its own against its bigger brothers on the PS2, and that is saying a lot, especially for a portable. Yes, it does suffer from some of the flaws that come with being a portable game. The worlds, for the most part, don't seem as big and as detailed as the PS2 games, but you should expect that given the platform. Sometimes its hard to see what you are doing and you just end up mashing buttons to kill your enemies. Also, for whatever reason there is very little of Final Fantasy in this game. Only a few characters make a few quick appearances, which to me is a big loss. Part of the magic of these games is the merger between FF and Disney...... And you won't be fighting along side Goofy or Donald Duck in this game, but honestly, that wasn't a big loss for me as I found them to be a bit annoying....... Some people complain that Kingdom Hearts is too easy..... but guess what? This game is also meant for younger gamers so yes the normal setting is very easy. If you are an experienced gamer, crank up the difficulty level and enjoy. Each story line is a bit short (about 10 hours if you don't spend time levelling up) but they are fun and you do get three unique story lines, all of them pretty good. Some of the voice acting is weak, but it doesn't detract from the overall experience(specifically portions of Terra's line, and a few of the Disney characters need some work).

Kingdom Hearts questions answered!..... Sort of...

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep is probably one of the most high quality titles on the PSP to date. I write with the Vita already launched so its probably mute at this point that this is a great buy. To those who are familiar with the series this instalment meets all expectations that the brand Kingdom Hearts is known for. To those who are not, this is still a great pick-up no matter what. This game follows three keyblade wielders and their individual experiences throughout the timeline of events surrounding the game. This is perhaps the neatest touch to a KH game since 358 days over 2 concept of playing within the organization (for those of you who don't know they are the main villains from KH II). I'll break down this into many parts so please bear with me. Graphics: Probably the God of War titles and the Dissidia games beat out this game for me here, but this is really close with them. It looks just like KH from the PS2 and it was a great surprise to see that this game be as good looking as it was. (One reason why I favor Sony over Nintendo in the handheld market) Every visual you can think of was well put together and had great detail. (5/5) Environments: Like all KH games, this chapter has many different worlds. Most of them are new, focusing on the princesses from KH I that you dont really interact with (Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora) and two worlds that get a proper intro. I'm talking about the REAL Neverland with the actual island and lost boys (Not a pirate ship and Big Ben KH I fans), and stitch gets his own location with the space ship with the characters from the movie (Except Lilo, but thats actually a good thing, personally). Radiant Garden, however, is my favorite due to the locations you dont see in KH II. These are all great areas that are worth being in. (5/5) Characters: I'm pretty sure that there are those like me who saw the cover and said "Hey there's Mickey and Roxas! (KH II) but who are the others? WELP guess what? not Roxas. Thats Ventus with Aqua and Terra. With all kinds of characters, the big surprises were seeing 2 different Soras, Kairi, and Riku. You also get to see Xeanorht (I know thats not how you spell it but I tried by sounding it out.) but he's not who you think. He looks COMPLETELY different form KH II and probably the single best thing about him is that he is voiced by Leonard Nimoy! Thats right! Mr Spock from Star Trek. Master Eraqus (I hope thats how its spelled) is my favorite because he is kind of like Yoda from Star Wars. Each character is well voiced and designed with awesome personalities. You will consistently see characters from games past here. I'm not spoiling it but you might want to pay attention to Radiant Garden when your there. (5/5) Gameplay: Movement, fighting, and other nuances are all there. The analog stick is actually of some use here as it did not feel that in the way for me while I was playing. The only negative about this game falls here, and thats the dice board. Its a great way to level up your attacks, but it is really time consuming. In the end it was worth it for me to have powerful attacks by the end of each storyline, but I probably spent half my time on the dice board. Its fun, but it wears off after a while. Otherwise, everything else is very polished and has great control. (4/5) Story: OK, Now the big kicker. I'm someone who loves to play games in a series chronologically (Except Final Fantasy where they are not related in universe [I dont count Dissidia]) so this is probably the first game you should play since its set before where it all supposedly began in KH I. As I said, the multiple points of view was the best touch as a story mechanic. With that being said, I'm not that big on how it turned out but it answers a LOT of questions from throughout the timeline. 1.) Where did Xeanorht come from? 2.) How did Sora, Riku, and Kairi became wielders of the keyblade? 3.) What is the meaning of the secret movie at the end of KH II? However, 4 really interesting questions that got answered floored me: 1.) In 358 days over 2, near the end, a cutscene involving Xigbar, Axel, and Xion takes place on Wonderland. What did Xigbars statement mean? 2.) How did Castle Oblivion come to be in Chain of Memories? 3.) At the end of the game in the single last cutscene, how do the three come together? 4.) The origin of the organization's founders. This is what had me ending this game with a smile on my face and a sense of satisfaction. Great story told only the way a KH game can, with a vast array of plot twists. (5/5) Pros: + Great Story + Memorable Characters + Awesome Worlds + Answers series long questions Con: - Dice board can take some of the fun away. In summary if you dont have it: BUY IT. If you want somewhere to start the series: BUY IT. If your looking for just a casual PSP Game: BUY IT and you will possibly find yourself caught up in the series as a whole. (9/10)

This will do for now

While original Kingdom Hearts games on PS2 had very childish stories, I loved them because of their unique combat system and fun RPG gameplay. Therefore I had to give Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (KH:BBS) a shot. I after finishing the story twice with two different characters, here is what I thought. ****************PROS.******************** THREE PLAYABLE CHARACTERS AND THREE SIDES TO THE STORY: KH:BBS is a unique game in the sense that you have three playable characters in this game. You get to choose which character you want to play as in very beginning of the game. Each character will visit different parts of the given worlds, will grow in a different way and experience a different facet of the main story. Thus, to experience complete story, you will have to finish the story with all three different characters. BATTLE SYSTEM: Like KH1 and 2, the battle system is the strongest aspect of KH:BBS. While this game is on PSP, it is amazing the number of different physical and magical combos you will find yourself pulling off on enemies. Throughout the game you get many different magic and attacks and you can combine these different magic and attacks to create stronger, more stunning and vary unique moves. In addition to attacks, you will also have different finishing moves. As you use different types of attack you will develop different finishing moves and different combos. It is very difficult to explain in words, but once you play, you will have an idea about the depth of battle system in this game. I personally loved it. Furthermore, different characters starts out with different moves so the variety of attacks you will have at your disposal are simply ridiculous. GRAPHICS, ART AND ANIMATION; The game looks as gorgeous as KH on PS2. Just like KH1 and 2, different Disney and Square-Enix characters are aesthetically animated and assuming you watched those cartoons and played square games, you will go through many nostalgic moments. Loved it! OPEN WORLD GAMEPLAY: Throughout the games you will visit different Disney worlds and game at most times gives you freedom to choose which worlds you want to visit. You are also allowed to revisit worlds to collect treasure that you may have missed or were unable to collect on your first visit. This is one of the features I loved in original KH games and am happy they have kept it here. RPG ELEMENT: Just like previous KH games, as you defeat more enemies, your character will level up and his or her strength, magic, health and other stats will increase. Also, as described above, in addition to your character you can also upgrade different magic, attacks, moves and finishing moves. The advantage of this system is say if you are finding a boss or enemies in certain area difficult to finish, then you can always level up and have another shot at them. RPG element is one of the biggest reasons I have been a big fan of KH games. ENEMIES AND BOSSES: Again just like previous games, very nicely designed. Different enemies and bosses will require different strategy to beat them (especially on harder modes). Buttonmashing will only get you so far. I won't spoil much, but I loved the fight where you fight human opponents. MINIGAMES: In addition to main gameplay, you will also find yourself playing couple of minigames, such as racing and dice games. Fortunately most of these are optional so if you like them, play your heart out, if not, not a big necessity. Great way to kill some more time though. Also, your performance in these minigames may help you upgrade your skills in the main gameplay. CO-OP GAMEPLAY: KH:BBS has an arena mode where you can either by yourself or with your friends fight hordes and hordes of enemies, race against each other or play dice game. While not necessary, it is an great addition to this game. I personally loved this mode. More you play, tougher arena modes you unlock (i.e. tougher horde fights etc.) REPLAYABILITY: As stated above, you will be finishing the story at least 3 times to explore all the areas and all the aspects of the story. And at least from what I have played, you won't get tired anytime soon. SECRET ENDING: No spoilers. The game itself tells you that if you want to unlock secret ending, play on harder modes. To unlock it, you will have to collect certain reports. So if you are completionist like me, you will be playing this game for quite a while to unlock this. ***************CONS.************************ REMOVAL OF SOME FEATURES FROM ORIGINAL KH GAMES: Since this game is may be taking place on PSP, they removed some good things from original KH games. You no longer have any partners. In many ways this makes things easier, but I kind of miss them. *************CONCLUSION******************* I have personally loved this game. Unfortunately, it will take a long while for KH 3 to come out, but meanwhile this is definitely a great game to pass some time and get ready for KH3. I personally loved the gameplay and also the story in this game. Hopefully they connect this game with KH 3. I would give this 9/10.

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