Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

The battle system in Kingdom Hearts is weak, the camera sucks, and the mini-games are a waste of time. But you know what? I love it anyway. This game is inviting, involving, and fun, despite its flaws.

Sora, the story's hero, has to be one of my all-time favorite Square characters. He's not a boring, brooding loner; he's just a nice kid 'lookin to hook up with Kairi, a cutie who lives in his home town.

When a mysterious vortex opens up in the sky and swallows Kairi whole, Sora gathers his strength and sets out to find her. His search leads him through a series of Disney's 'worlds', including Agrabah, Halloweentown and Wonderland. The game's environments are all colorful and boldy drawn; they perfectly capture the mood of the movies that inspired them. And the Disney characters that you run into are the 'spittin image of their cartoon selves. Often times, these familiar faces will agree to take up your cause and fight by your side: you get to swim with Ariel, fly with Peter Pan, and ride a magic carpet with Aladdin. Great stuff all around.

Kingdom Heart's play mechanics cross what you've seen in The Legend of Zelda (lots of exploration, real-time 3D battles) with iconic stuff from the Final Fantasy series (elaborate magic spells, a three-member party, item shops, summons). This setup doesn't totally gel, but the story does, and that's where this game stands as a triumph. You gotta try it.