Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories has always been one of the odder games in this series. Unlike most of the entries, it is not a direct-action RPG. It attempted to add a card game element to it, making the combat more strategic and forcing players to show restraint during combat. The game received a remake on PS2 and has been part of remastered collections ever since.
While the remake is a decent game in its own right, the original GBA game plays a lot better.
The remake might use assets from Square’s first Kingdom Hearts game, but the original Chain of Memories used lovely 16-bit visuals that still look great to this day. Seeing Sora, Donald, Goofy, and other characters from the first game in a new graphical style was admirable at the time. Like a lot of good GBA games, this version still looks great, and we wish it had been seen more.
Although the gameplay between Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and its remake is pretty similar, the GBA version is much faster-paced. Since the remake is more similar to the PS2 games, battles last as long, if not longer, with cards limiting what your actions are. The GBA version’s enemies go down much faster, and levels are easier to skim through, likely due to its nature as a handheld title.
Fans of the franchise probably prefer the remake since it’s more focused on the story, with plenty of voice acting and some decent cinematography. Making it look more like the PS2 originals also makes it more in line with the rest of the series, which makes moving from game to game easier. Some fans like to binge the series, and seeing a similar visual identity helps with that.
Maybe it’s because the card-based combat doesn’t jive with me, but Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories feels easier to play on GBA. It’s easier to mash buttons and get immediate results in the GBA version, requiring less tact. Sure, I still need to pick the correct cards and equip them on my deck, but that feels less like a chore here.
I wouldn’t call Chain of Memories a bad Kingdom Hearts game, as it tried to do something different with the combat. Personally, it just didn’t translate well after playing the first game, and I just wanted more of that flashy fighting. Luckily, the rest of this series focused on that combat and is a lot better for it.
Unfortunately, there are no legal ways to play the original Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories right now. Even if it’s not as good, the remake is available on remastered collections, and that’s what matters.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Features and Kingdom Hearts page.