
Update: A Kingdom Hearts Integrum Masterpiece collection will also let you experience the entire saga on Switch. Full details here.
Original Article: Wowzers. As if the reveal of Sora in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate wasn't enough, it's also been announced that three Kingdom Hearts games are headed to Switch.
Kingdom Hearts - HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Kingdom Hearts III are all headed to Nintendo's platform. All three games will be cloud versions, however, meaning you'll need a solid internet connection to enjoy them.
No release date was announced for this upcoming trilogy, and Nintendo says to expect more information "soon". Still, that's quite the announcement, huh?
Are you excited to see so many Kingdom Hearts titles coming to Switch? Will you be checking these out when they become available? Let us know in the comments.
Comments 269
Absolutely nonsensical decision. As if 1.5 and 2.5 couldn't easily be ported
They couldn't be bothered to port the first 2 collections to Switch, considering they are literally ps3 games.
Hate these cloud solutions. Knew when we had the very first one, it would signal the end of devs trying to port games. Far easier and cheaper (for them) to stick it up on the cloud.
No interest in buying (renting lolz) those games.
And this is why we can't have nice things. Bad SE, bad.
[Insert joke about a certain Final Fantasy protagonist].
That is absolute trash. Easy Pass.
@steely_pete It's probably cheaper to just stream them
1.5 and 2.5 ran on the ps3 so thats confusing, regardless im happy for those who have yet to experience them.
Wait what? I thought only KH3 is cloud version, why are KH1+2 also cloud versions, they are PS2 games? That's weak
I imagine these are the PS4/XBO collections — which is why the first two games are being streamed as well (because they are really six games).
I am curious as to why the first two collections are cloud, are these the remake versions from ps4? If so then it makes sense. Tetsuya Nomura did say they (the squeenix dev team) found it challenging to port to switch. So this is the compromise I suppose.
Why did they mad it this way? So that we have to pay extra?
Ugh...I WAS so excited about this because I thought Sakurai only said 3 was cloud...but if ALL are cloud...I'll probably hard pass.
Square Enix being lazy as always
Eww cloud... cloud...
...cloud...
Okay, now that bit is out of the way, I do actually own all these on PS4 funnily enough. I have just never gotten around to playing them as Disney was never that big a thing in my life growing up and neither was Final Fantasy. I played the first one for a few hours, but have not gone back since...
Ehh, I'll try again eventually.
They could have just ported the PS3 remake of Kingdom Hearts 1 and called it a day.
But I guess this is fine for people who only have a Switch.
Pass, not cool.
just play it on PC. Simple as that. I get why KH 3 is cloud version though
Kingdom Hearts 3 being on the Cloud, I can understand....
They could have at least gone digital for the first Two Collections....but I understand these are huge downloads, hence a compromise for Cloud versions...
It is stupid. KH3 I understand of course. Would have got 1.5/2.5 and 2.8 to have on cartridge but oh well saved me money I guess!
1.5/2.5 is 4 Games and 2 Cutscene Movies
2.8 is 2 Games and 1 Cutscene Movie (so good)
Everyone just buy a Series S and play them there
Get out of here with your cloud gaming. I'm not going to bother with these games just because of this reason alone.
I mean, why cloud? They put DOOM and DOOM ETERNAL on a disk, you can’t tell me KH 1 and 2 couldn’t be ported. That’s just lazy.
A Disney deal...
Would not have bought them to begin with, cloud version seals the deal even more.
I dislike disney so much, glad to see none of their characters (aside from the KH ones) are being repped in Smash.
There's a side of me that wants to play with a Gamecube controller, to make up for the 20 years of not being able to do so.
I was kindof hoping the switch could handle all of the games pre-KH3. I still play these on my PS4/5 so I'm not gutted. Cool they're at least giving new players access in some form.
Part 3 ok? But all of them, Man, way to give fans that waited the finger.
I'd even take these as full download only games over cloud. This is just...sad...on a whole new level, for me.
I was so hyped when I saw they were all coming but I didn't even notice they're all cloud-based...man that sucks lol I guess I'll just play them elsewhere
I own KH3 and it struggles on my Pro so I can accept that being a cloud version but the two collections be cloud as well is gutting for me.
What a joke that's disappointing.
@mariomaster96 this was exactly what I thought too. 3 being the only cloud version. With that said, I'm 100% passing. I can't get any of these cloud versions to run properly and smoothly. Pretty sad decision if you ask me as I would've been super excited to try the series for the first time.
Nintendo goes the extra mile for all these inclusions but their publisher partners with a few exceptions will return the favor with the bare minimum if at all.
The main Kingdom Hearts games are finally coming to Switch aaaaannndd, they're cloud versions. :/
DAMN YOU SQUARE ENIIIIIIIX
They may as well give these to Stadia. Having cloud versions of any game is like eating air for lunch. It looks yummy but once you finish it you're still hungry.
Would have definitely bought the first collection had it been ported but no chance. I'm not even anti cloud gaming, fair enough if its on Stadia or something but not when it's through the Switch and the console could run the actual game.
Never tried the Cloud option on Switch.
I assumed it would be like Stadia or PSNow? Is that not the case?
I am just gonna buy KH Melody of Memory instead
So grateful that we'll get the games anyway. Instant buy for me
@WillQuan the first 2 probably? Not KH 3 though
Yeah I think it would be less insulting to just not have ported these games over. SE is just being lazy with this one.
i'd guess the tweet is wrong
Never played these games before, so I might give this a chance. Other wise, I'll get em on Epic because I do NOT have a playstation or xbox.
@Broosh The switch can handle them. The games run on the same engine used for Final Fantasy X HD. It's just an easy cop out situation as they are bringing KH3 as well.
what’s with the 1.5, 2.5, and 2.8? I’m confused…
being a stubborn Nintendo only system kind of gamer, my friend would rave about the original Kingdom Hearts back when it first released (I believe it was during the PS2 era) saying that it was his favorite game of all time.
with the reveal, it got me thinking that I should give the series a try.
@K1LLEGAL But that requires being at home using a TV. The point of them being on Switch is meant to mean that they're finally portable, something not possible on PS4 using Vita Remote Play, due to needong a network connection.
Nice for them to come to switch , but why are the first two games coming as cloud versions. 1.5 and 2.5 were released on the ps3 and doubt 2.8 is that much more preformance depending so why are they cloud version.
As I thought only the 3rd game was cloud version
I don't have much knowledge about Kingdom Hearts. So, do these three games cover all mainline KH games?
Oh look greedy company deals already settling in.
Cheers to all the salty people on Sora announcements in smash that where like " His games aren’t even on switch " hahahaha
@idork99
1.5 is kingdom hearts 1 , chain of memory
2.5 is kingdom hearts 2 , 358days and that psp game I think
A huge disappointment, but everyone saw it coming.
Don't waste your money.
So they won't sell well and will have to replace them with the real versions.
Boooooooooooo!!!
Contemptible decision by Square Enix. This would have been the perfect opportunity to port the games over.
I will just play them on PS4, the end!
@Ryu_Niiyama Even then it doesn't make sense. We got multiple PS4 games on the Switch.
@ItsJustAnotherGamer It's already confirmed that all KH games will be cloud streaming: https://twitter.com/KINGDOMHEARTS/status/1445402204190515216
I guess I'm sticking with my PS4 collection then
@mariomaster96 f***, 2.8 has a 3DS game! WTF?
@dionysos283 yes they cover all the games not just the mainline
I personally really don't need these as I still have all of the games on their original consoles and the collections on PS3 and PS4.... But still! Seeing the Switch versions being revealed as cloud only was painful!
I kinda get it though. From memory 1.5 + 2.5 is 58GB on PS4. Cant fit that on a cart unless you cut the framerate back to 30fps and lower/compress the hell out of it!
Although they could have worked from the PS3 versions and sold 1.5 and 2.5 separately (they are around 22GB each)
@dionysos283 They cover most of the games, although the two DS games are just featured in the form of the cutscenes in HD, so you may want to source them separately.
Perfect timing as I was actually interested if I can play, especially the first one, on any of my platforms.
@Duboiss They still won't be, technically.
lol that's so cheap. cloud games work fine on the switch in my experience, but straight ports would have been better
I was just gonna joke about having another excuse to pine for KH flagships on Switch... Monkey Paw sure acts fast. Alas, if streaming these was 100% satisfactory for me, I'd have bought the collection on PS4 long ago. If Square Enix is so eager to push this option lately (between these and GotG), can I hope they included the adjustable resolution for... LOL, just kidding, of course they didn't. Being a Japanese company, I'm not entirely sure if they even know what "slow mobile internet" is.😄
Not having the momentary resources or time to optimize KH3 would at least be more understandable, so the bummer is mostly the previous ones. Oh well, better luck next gen...
To all those saying they are the PS3 ports, they aren't. The games were adjusted and improved on for the PS4/ PC releases...Not saying they can't run on Switch but I guess SE just wanted to release all at once without the effort.
@Marioracer
It’s true the bulk of the publishers that work with Nintendo for Smash just use it it as general advertisement for their products not for advertisement for their products on Switch, remember the Banjo ports not making to Switch with Sakurai telling everyone to go play it on Xbox?
>PC ports EGS exclusive
>Switch cloud versions of PS3 games
Square really is the entire circus...
Very disappointed, I didn’t want to say all cloud games are just lazy, seeing as how the Witcher 3 and Doom Eternal could be ported.
But this is inexcusably lazy, and for once I’ll agree that it’s anti-consumer.
I’ll go dredge up a DS Kingdom Heart before I get scammed
Ooohh...so THAT'S why they are doing it as cloud!!! They are including ALL of the games into one "cloud game" purchase. You get ALL of them, so they don't have to take the time to reprint all the games into their separate collections. They are lumping them all in together...so its all or nothing for Switch users and the cloud versions.
This is so disappointing. I've been waiting for these games since Switch launch. I'm not paying for streaming cloud games. I guess no sale.
Ugh. I've already got these games for PS4 but would have bought actual ports for Switch. Cloud gaming is lazy ass bullcr@p.
@SwitchedOn_Games I hafta agree with this.
@Einherjar Not to mention putting all their old Final Fantasy titles as mobile games, this whole company (Square Enix) felt like it's run by morons just like Sega.
For those asking:
1.5 is Kingdom Hearts Final Mix (HD Remaster of PS2 original), RE:Chain Of Memories (3D remake of the GBA game), and HD cutscenes from 358/2 (DS Game)
2.5 is Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix (HD Remaster of PS2 original), Birth By Sleep Final Mix (HD Remaster of PSP Original), and HD cutscenes of RE:Coded (DS Game)
2.8 is Dream Drop Distance HD (HD Remaster of 3DS Game), Birth By Sleep Fragmentary Passage (original game for collection) and an HD Movie original to the collection.
Simples
I was stoked, and thought that it was implied that cloud would be used to play the third installment. Bummed all three will be cloud. Hard pass for me.
Hmm...I wonder if Asia will get anything on a cart? Stranger things have happened.
Had me, then immediately lost me at cloud.
Horrendous Squenix, horrendous!
You know full well you could have ported these.
"Kingdom Heart 1-3 is coming to Switch..."
Yes!
"all of them are cloud versions."
Oh...
Guess I’m gonna get them on PlayStation then. Damn you Square.
Typical Square Enix
What a joke: Squeenix doesn't actually want you to own their games physically.
I don't get all the saltiness when it comes to cloud versions of games on Switch. Internet sorcery is used to release games that one could normally not play on Switch. Seems like a win. Is it the Internet connection requirement? The feeling of never quite owning the content?
Lmao thank God switch isn't the only platform I own. That'd be a nightmare
@K1LLEGAL @Arnold-Kage thank you both!
I would sooner play at 480p than play via cloud gaming.
KINGDOM HEARTS - ALL-IN-1 PACKAGE (a Complete Collection of all these collections + KH3) has existed for awhile now and is routinely on sale on PS4... not sure why this wasn't just ported instead. It's cool the games are available somehow I guess, but they can keep these cloud versions for me personally.
Squeenix get it together mang.
At least the smash audience that has not played them will get a chance to play them on switch, and hey, the first few minutes are free to test out if your connection can handle it to satisfaction. But yeah, the earlier games probably could have been ported so it looks a little lazy ... maybe it was a licensing issue if they modified to port the game for switch?
Man I was super ecstatic when Sakurai said the games were coming to Switch but the moment he said they were Cloud version that shattered me. Oh well at least I do have them physical on PS4 but man it would have been great to have 1.5+2.5 at least in a cartridge. I was thinking at least those could run on Switch.
@yuwarite But they are on the Epic Game Store, which doesn't support Linux. So...
This is some serious Monkey paw business right here.
I haven't played 1 and 2 since the PS3 re-releases and have yet to play 3 so I would have loved to pick these up even if they had sold all three games separately...then, as soon as I read: "Cloud Version" I was immediately unsold.
Guys, please stop making the Switch look awful and actually please bother to port your bloody games.
I'm mean I'm a mega fan who owns every version on PS2,PS3 & PS4 so it doesn't affect me but this was a dick move to pull on Switch owners there's no way in hell KH III would run on Switch so that makes sense but the HD Remix collections???....c'mon Square (side note) GIMME THAT CHESSBOARD!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Looks like I might actually buy a cloud-based game. Or three.
Am I happy they're cloud-based? No. But given the choice between a cloud-based game and nothing, I'll take the game. Having never experienced these games, this is probably the best part of today's announcement for me.
Can’t wait for Pixel Remasters of FFI-VI to be made available on Switch in 2024 only through Cloud streaming.
...I feel good that I got a PS4, instead.
I may have considered getting the first one (you know, the one were the saga still hadn't turned into an absolute narrative disaster) if I actually were GETTING it. I have zero interest in paying for the right to stream games.
All of them could have been properly ported to the Switch. Guess the investment on Cloud gaming has zero risks for companies, hence this decision. It's BS, once you see examples of games like The Witcher III or DOOM Eternal being fully ported.
@Pak-Man The fact that the Switch is partly (or comoletely with the Lite) a handheld console means you can't play the games when on the go. The Switch could easily handle 1.5 and 2.5, maybe even 2.8.
@Pak-Man
Nobody's internet connection is fast enough to be able to run any cloud game any near as fast non-cloud games. Not only will it still take about 5 to 10 years for cloud games to be even be some semblance of passable but they will never be as fast as everything natively running through a cable from your console to your TV.
1.5 and 2.5 was literally on PS3. SE was just being absolutely lazy as usual.Then when they look at the inevitable poor sales for the cloud version they will use that as an excuse of “Nintendo fans does not care about non spinoff KH games”.
Well that means
I will skip all three of them
Come on when did switch owners started get treated like rubbish
And when will switch owners get treated better?
This is a shame because I imagine fans would buy physicals in droves. I'm sure they could have been ported if there was a proper will. I'm ok with cloud gaming for the occassional release but 3 big games like these that could be ported "easily"? Hmmm....
Cloud versions??? You can probably thank Disney for that decision.
Square-Enix is really starting to cheap out on Nintendo. Other than Dragon Quest, I don't see a much good support looking towards the future.
Cloud Version?
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
@LEGEND_MARIOID I could see a reason for 3 to potentially need to be Cloud based, but not the rest. It's so lazy.
Absolutely laughable that KH1.5+2.5 and KH2.8 aren't native ports.
This is EA's "FIFA Legacy Edition" level of effort - probably worse.
@Specter_of-the_OLED Among other things, yes...
Their decisions are sometimes incredibly weird.
Especially as a company holding several IP's strong enough to sell blindly by name only.
For me, this nonsense is a hard pass.
Even on a good day, under clinical conditions, our infrastructure barely reaches the minimum required lower bandwidth limit.
And since our government never showed any interest in replacing our old copper phone lines with anything more modern, cloud solutions are just out of the question in general.
Wow that sucks
@mjharper
If you've never tried a cloud version game, you'd honestly be better off just not playing it. Luckily, the 3 main KH games are on other systems
This makes sense in the context of Kingdom Hearts III, but not the others unless they're "modern" versions. I would've rather had lower res native ports of the other games vs. being tethered to an internet connection.
Square Enix, I love some of your properties, but I daresay you make more confusing decisions than Nintendo sometimes.
(Also yay Sora for Smash!)
@westman98 At least with the FIFA Legacy Editions, they're putting the tiniest bit of effort to put the game on the Switch.
Heh, “Cloud” gaming.
@Aya-chan Other systems aren't portable though. I can't exactly take an Xbox One on the train and play it on my commute.
Really going to make use of that new LAN port.
I have zero interest in cloud gaming. But I also have zero interest in Kingdom Hearts so oh well.
Well this sucks for those of us that live in Australia or New Zealand and only have a Switch. None of the cloud based games ever get released here, so i guess no Kingdom Hearts for us then.
@twadebarcelona
True. At least EA updates the roster and menus in FIFA Legacy Edition and pays the money to produce a retail/digital copy of the game for people to buy/download.
Zero reason for these games to cloud based. When I see a game like Guardians of the Galaxy using cloud it doesn’t surprise me. When I see games that ran fine on last gen hardware using cloud, it just annoys me. Fans have waited so long for these games on a Nintendo platform, just make them physical Square…
@Pak-Man not when they decide to close the server the games run on, but you still paid full price for the privilege.
Dang I jumped on the stream late and didn't catch the cloud thing. Incredibly disappointing news.
@twadebarcelona The irony is, you could take your Steam library with you soon...but it's EGS exclusive :^)
And sure, the upcomming Steam Deck can "sideload" any game, but it makes it more difficult to configure it properly to said handheld.
So even this handheld option is messy
Cloud versions for these older titles how disappointing.
I've literally held off playing my copies on PS4, because I thought the physical Switch version was only a matter of time... But this is gonna be a nah for me.
Someone get Limited Run Games on the line for a physical production license, because I would be more than willing to pay a Switch Tax to have physical versions of 1.5+2.5.
@Einherjar But that would mean forking out hundreds just for another system that I wouldn't want and wouldn't play most of the games I want to play when Squeenix could easily have put the KH series on Switch properly.
@Zag_Man Unfortunately they're digital only on Xbox One, meaning you can't get them second-hand or sell the. (Except for 3).
Yeah because switch can't handle ps2 graphics right Square?
Pass, I have these games on PS4 which I can play in 4K. Why would I play inferior versions which I cannot take on the go. If I can't take my game with me, I probably won't buy it on the Switch.
@JokerCK Pretty much, I wish we had Final Fantasy X and XII ports to play on the go...
Nah.
It makes sense for 3 if it’s how best to get it running. But just lazy for the others.
Maybe if there was a deep deep discount to ‘rent’ these games.
horrible decision on their part. I'm not often disappointed but I am now, I really wanted these games on the Switch but this is like not having them at all and losing all hope of ever having them. if I can't take it outside with me what's the point.
I bought the KH collections on PC recently… and I would have double dipped if these weren’t Cloud versions… shame really 😔 they couldn’t even give us one port…?
@Pak-Man Pretty much the reasons you listed; not to mention that the Cloud feels especially stupid on Switch given that despite it being marketed as a home console, ultimately, the gimmick is still to take it with you on the go. Cloud gaming is not practical portably. It defeats the whole point of having the Switch. There is also the fact that the game will be eventually unavailable. Sure, physical copies could also be destroyed due to passage of time or whatever (or heck, even digital copies of games), but at least you can play those portably since you don't have to worry about the connection.
....III I could understand I guess, but the first 2 games there's no reason, or even the remade CoM game.
I really do hope we do get digital/physical options at some point, I mean, I already have the remixes on PS4 but I wouldn't mind having it on Switch because it's not even my PS4. lol
Brain dead decisions like this are why I’ve never been a Square Enix fan🙄 the first two games could’ve EASILY been ported
@K1LLEGAL The naming convention and lore of KH is incredible. It started as a fun attempt to let you have Mickey Mouse and Goofy in the Square universe... and it became the most complicated story in human history
Where I live, the internet service is mostly rubbish (even on a good day). I really dislike (to put it mildly) when they think they can just sell us cloud versions and call it a day. Some of us are not able to play that way.. so I guess we just miss out then. I have been wanting to play these games for so long on a handheld but if we can only play them with an internet connection then (for me and many others) I just do not see the point.. If we are paying full price for these games, who knows how long we will be able to even play them for anyway (before they are no longer available to us).
@MS7000 It's not exactly a gimmick when there is a whole Switch model that is exclusively portable.
@mjharper I admire your positive attitude. 👏 I sincerely hope the cloud versions are good so you get to experience these great games 😊
So let's recap (imo) some Square Enix Recent Poor Decisions:
I could be wrong on some of these (and I'm certain there's more), so forgive and correct me if so but this is what I can recall off-top smh. Seems like too many seemingly good announcements far too often come with a caveat or grain of salt... whereas tbh they should be pretty straight-forward wins and hard to mess up lol. Get it together Squeenix smh!
... Wun can only hope.
I don't have a PS (just the Switch; not Nintendo obsessed, just don't have infinite money). I'm tempted on these. I know lag is an issue with cloud games... but the KH games I played in the past were more story driven and relatively easy (i.e. you didn't need the reflexes of a spitting cobra to play them). With that in mind, generally will the lag make these unplayable given the types of games these are?
Cloud versions? Well that's a definite pass for me.
Not interested in cloud gaming
I would be more excited about the games if I wasnt 100% sure theyre gonna charge $60 per game
@twadebarcelona Agreed, but I was more referring to the Original and OLED models since Nintendo themselves have said multiple times they considered them Home consoles. From their perspective, the portability is the gimmick... well that and the joy-cons I suppose.
@Moonlessky I think I remember the XB1 versions being about £30 for each collection (1.2 + 2.5 and 2.8 being the separate collections) when they initially launched. However with those you could actually play them without fearing your internet connection could go down or be too slow.
Not to sound petty, but the other roster picks for the fighter's pass definitely had physical and digital copies of their games already on Switch and not Cloud versions.
You would think with all the reps Square-Enix is licensing to Nintendo that they would at least throw Nintendo players a bone and include some special game releases, but no.
They are super stingy and most of their reps take up the DLC picks.
@wuntyme8 Only thing to note is that the FF Pixel Remasters didn't include FF4 After Years, because the games are based on the first release of each individual title, so NES for 1-3, SNES for the other 3. So that rules out everything else.
But yeah, generally on point...hurtfully so...
@Moonlessky Per the twitter account for Kingdom Hearts, its an all-in-one collection for the Switch cloud version. You get access to all of them at the same time...but its STILL a cloud version.
I don't think this is a PORTING issue and being able to run anything. What I think this is is Square/Disney having the ability to pull the plug when the rights or agreements have expired. There's no doubt the Switch can run these games. The cloud version gives the companies an easy KILL PILL when whatever hoops Nintendo had to jump through to get the games expire.
@Muddy_4_Ever While they are certainly no twitch reaction games like, say, Ninja Gaiden, i'd say that they have a few battles that would be rather annoying with lag.
Especially KH2 with its reliance on its reaction / counter system.
And to think I might actually have considered making an exception for III as a cloud version if the other games had a proper release.
@twadebarcelona Just checked these on my XboxOneX, and the 1.5+2.5 collection is $50, and 2.8 is $60 currently. Although, with this KH 205h Anniversary coming up, maybe they'll go on sale and I'll get them on there. Both my daughter and I were REALLY excited about getting 1.5/2.5 and 2.8 on Switch when we thought it was only 3 that was cloud...now we are both thoroughly disappointed.
@ChromaticDracula That's my main worry. At least with digital games, if the storefront hosting them is closing, you can try to redownload them ahead of time (although I have seen some digital games get pulled instantly and not available for redownload). With this you have no way to play when Squeenix decides you can't and you don't get your money back for that.
Well this just went from and intsta-buy to a no-buy from me. I'm not interested in expensive rentals.
Thanks, but no thanks! Pass!!
@Highlar I only remember those prices because I bought them on launch in the Xbox One so a family member who had my account on their system could also play the games and I could play them if I wanted. They do go on sale regularly though on PS4 and Xbox One. However I too am disappointed by the cloud only thing with them on Switch. I prefer to play games on the go.
@ChromaticDracula making a good point, it's more control for when Disney inevitably pulls the game in a couple years. God forbid we have a Disney game on Switch we can play offline in 5 years.
Hopefully this is a blessing in disguise, I would be leery to release yet another cloud-only game on Switch after this disappointing announcement. Hopefully developers/publishers are paying attention.
I will not buy any cloud games so will not be buying.
Do not play any other systems so won't be playing them at all.
I wonder if they'll read comments like these and rethink their decision..... probably not.
These can run on Switch. The KH3 Prolouge in 2.8 and 3 can run if time was put in and there's no reason why 1.5 and 2.5 on here. Cloud versions are only made so that thet don't have to put any time in to bring it to all platforms
@Einherjar Surely Square will optimize the game to account for that since it will be cloud streamed 🤣🤣🤣
LOL NO! They'll just dump the existing version on the streaming service and call it a day.
I wish I could say that I'm surprised but Nintendo fans have always gotten the middle finger when it comes to KH games. Nintendo systems always get the lesser entries. This is just this generation's equivalent of that.
WHAT?! They're all CLOUD games?!? Oh absolutely no way for me. Never.
The fewer people support that distribution model, the better off we consumers will be.
@steely_pete yeah so stupid. I would buy them, but renting them?! NO WAY!
It kind of takes away from the perks of Switch with the whole portability aspect if you have to play on the cloud. Cloud versions should only be used as either an option OR if there's no other viable way to port the game over. I'm not sure if that was the case here.
I still don't see why these couldn't have been optimized ports for the Switch sold on cartridge and as full eShop downloads. Cloud-based means I WON'T be buying these. The point of being able to play games like this on Switch would be to play anywhere, with or without an internet connection. If I'm forced to stay home where wifi is prominent, then I might as well boot up my PS4 discs. Also, cloud-based versions are dependent not just on your own internet connection, but whether the servers are actually running. And what if you lose power (or where the servers are located lose power)? At least with a cartridge/download version on Switch, you could still play the game in handheld mode (something the PlayStation or Xbox can't do and would have been a killer feature for Switch in this new climate change-crazy world where freak storms knock out power systems routinely) but cloud-based you have to rely not just on your own infrastructure but that of some far-off community where the servers are located. And then there's the control lag.....in a game like Kingdom Hearts when things get frantic?....NO THANK YOU!
This is a baffling decision. Especially since the first two on based on the same engine FFX and FFXII ran on. Something tells me this was ALL Disney. I'll be skipping this one too since I have on it on the PS5.
Wasted opportunity on the series. Dying Light is coming to the Switch and it's sequel via the cloud, they could have brought over everything prior to KHIII and streamed that one. Guess the mouse loves to pinch those pennies tight.
At least the lion king/Aladdin/ jungle book collection was handled better
Huge disappointment, hard pass.
You want to add cloud gaming to the annual subscription and put all cloud games on there then it's a great idea. I'll pay another 20 bucks year for it but that's it. Audi 5000
Sub in "Fans". Ironically, this may lead to le$$ lol but it's definitely a lower expense and resource investment too lol smh
i don't care if it is cloud version
i am just happy and excited that i can actually play them on a console that i have
These cloud versions of games are worse than just not having access to the games at all. I understand KH3, at least, but it's ridiculous they won't even bother optimizing ports of the PS3 collections.
Between this and the Epic exclusivity deal for the PC ports, this series is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I was thinking about giving it another chance, but I think that time has passed.
Just like with the Nintendo Switch Online ‘Expansion Pack’ - vote with your wallets.
Happy days. Never played this series but excited to give it a try.
If at the very least Nintendo had a cloud service like basically all other cloud gaming services, I would maybe consider it. But a cloud service that only works on the Switch also means it is going to be the first cloud service to shutdown, so yea not interested in the slightest.
This is unfortunate. Onky KH game ive played was DDD on 3ds and didnt really like it but even i would have got the origionals to play on switch. I wont support cloud based practices tho so its a no from me.
Well that sucks. Stupid cloud. Is switch really so weak that it couldn't handle a couple PS2 games? I knew KH3 wasn't likely but what a Jip!
Oh well it's all good. I already have these on playstation.
If people wanted cloud games, they would've bought Stadia. No excuse for 1.5 and 2.5 to not be native.
As if people caring for this franchise didn't own them all three times at least already. I surely don't give a damn and as such I don't care.
I know KH3 wouldn't run on Switch without some serious optimizations, but still... So sad that a series that is a perfect match for Nintendo is released this late as Cloud versions.
If they were native, I'd buy it all again on Switch to play on the go.
@twadebarcelona
And neither are these cloud versions. What's your point?
Okay really a stupid decision i wont support that, those games could easily be ported. This is just lazy.
Every silver lining has a cloud
Lazy, lazy, lazy.
I won't be touching these at all. Physical release - absolutely, Digital only - possibly, Cloud based - not a chance. Especially when there's absolutely no reason from a technical standpoint.
It's quite puzzling why Kingdom Hearts never gets a fair crack on Nintendo systems especially when Square have given us pretty much all of the final fantasy games.
They really know how to get people excited and let them all down in the same sentence.
Cloud? Dead on arrival for me.
Waiting for them to tweet out "Do you guys not have the internet?"
Really wanted Kingdom Hearts on switch but after trying Control, there is no way I will ever buy a cloud game again.
Just pure laziness. Even with a powerful and fast Internet connection, people pay a premium swith games due to portability. If I want to be stuck to playing at home, I would pick up the PS3/4 versions from a bargain bin at £5
Cloud Version? I'll stick with the ports on the other systems, thanks. How ***** lazy is Square Enix that they can't port a few PS2 games and a game on UE4. Just a few years ago they remade all of DQ 11, just for Switch.
I think as Switch owners we have to face the facts that 3rd parties are not going to keep making dumb down ports for Nintendo, so the cloud option really opens the door for more graphically intense games like KH3.
If I wanted a portable cloud version; remote play is a much better option. Switch is kind of dead in the water for cloud games outside the house.
cloud version is a no go for me
@Aya-chan My point is that the benefit of them being Switch would have been the portability, yet it's missing, so having them on Xbox or PlayStation doesn't get me the one thing I want.
Just a reminder that even the PS2 versions would be better than a Cloud version. The Final Mix releases were on PS2 in Japan and are available with an English fan translation and can be easily emulated, so don't support this. They remove the whole point of them being on the Switch in the first place by requiring an internet connection to work at all.
@YusseiWarrior3000 Eh yes. More people agree with me than you. Try harder next time.
@YusseiWarrior3000 Yeah that's what I'm saying. I just accidently put a typo when talking about 1.5 and 2.5 lmao
I rather have no game than a cloud version. The first two are ps2 games. No excuses SE! The Switch can’t be portable with cloud games! If you want cloud games, bring X-Cloud.
@YusseiWarrior3000 It's Hot Trash. Sorry that upsets you.
@YusseiWarrior3000 Don't let people's opinions on video games bother you so much. It's not a good look.
What a deflating announcement on what is suppose to be a great week with Metroid Dread, and Super Monkey Ball. I do not play cloud games. Never have and never will. This is an absolute joke from Nintendo and Square Enix. They probably knew this was going to get huge backlash if it was included in the Direct. Epic, epic fail for me.
@Specter_of-the_OLED
So true.
So either ps3 games are even too much for the switch to handle or square are being lazy. Can't see many people buying these
@danemord Same I'm getting tired of people complaining about them being cloud versions which i get. But i'm glad I'll finally be able to play these games for the first time. So instant buy for me too.
@UltimateOtaku91 there was a PS3 game that was ported to the PS Vita some years ago....granted that it wasn't really a complex game with spectacular gaphics, but still...now, Square Enix has more resources than those who developed that game for sure, if they wanted they could port it to the Switch. Of course a native port cost more than the cloud version.
@NintendoGamer22 insta-buy? To get more lazy cloud versions?
@Perryg92
58 GB isn't too bad. Nintendo announced 3 years ago I believe, that they were working on getting 64 GB cartridges to market, and that never happened. Each time I see a cloud version of a game, I think back to CDProject putting the entire Witcher 3 on Switch, which I supported day 1.
@DragotheKomodo Same here I'm really happy and excited to be able to play the games for the first time on a console that I have
@Whitestrider No it's just I really want to be able to play the Kingdom Hearts series
@YusseiWarrior3000 Considering the Switch is marketed as a hybrid and one of the models is portable only, then saying it's specifically a home console is wrong.
Ah yes... The new solution to "lazy porting". I have the ability to play these at long last, so now I have to decide if I'll boycott giving SE $$/$$$, or caving. Disclosure: I don't have access to play the originals on their systems, nor am I investing the time or money to do so, so... Here I am. Thanks SE... 😒
This went from being the most exciting announcement of the day to the most infuriating.
Just stick on PS4 version and it saves your day.
This is just pure laziness. 2.8 and Kingdom 3 maybe could see being cloud. but 1.5 2.5 should be on a cart. I'll stick with my Ps3 and Ps4 copies. Seriously i would have no problem triple dipping for this if they weren't so lazy about it
@Anti-Matter yep. This is a slap in the face and honestly shouldn't be supported
@NintendoGamer22 well you can play them already of you want. I won't give them money for this lazy version.
That's too bad. Surely Switch could AT LEAST handle ports of the PS2 originals.
The .5 were the PS3 HD versions and .8 was PS4, wasn't it?
@Whitestrider That's fair it's just I'm not about to pay money for a new console for just a couple of games
These titles give me a headache. Never played Kingdom Hearts, guessing I should start at the beginning but making sense of what those titles mean is a job in itself. How does a game become a .8 of something
These were on my list of top wanted switch ports, I'm not going to buy them though if this is how they're coming over. I can understand KH3, but there's literally no reason that games initially made for the PS2, and later ported to the PS3 shouldn't be able to run on switch. It truly is a shame. I hope that this doesn't become an even more common move in the future, but it's inevitable at this point.
@Beep_Beep @KingMike @Ryu_Niiyama these are the PS4 Remakes (literally as these were made from scratch again to release them in the 1.5 + 2.5 collection (By Disney's demand)) as the Original Source Codes for KH I Final Mix (1.5) and Re: Chain of Memories were deleted from SE Archives back in the mid-2000's (Along with FFVIII and many others as this not only affected SE but also other developers in the Japanese Gaming Industry).
Before we start, FFVIII Remastered only exists because a Small Passionate Dev Team reverse engineered the code and then gave it back to SE. So SE as a reward for the spent time and effort for no compensation, Green-lit the development of Remastered
@Baker1000
The 2.8 version from Kingdom Hearts was taken from Kingdom Hearts 3DS.
It was the timeline between KH 2.5 and KH3.
@idork99 me and my friends literally switched between kingdom hearts 1, and playing smash melee! So they're from the same time.
And they're great, even if you aren't into Disney!
I'm with the rest of you, the cloud thing kills this for me! A real bummer because I really wanted to play these!!
@Anti-Matter not the entire game. .02 is actually the prequel to 3 literally. It’s built off that engine. And .02 is part of the 2.8 collection. If KH 3 can’t run on Switch .02 wouldn’t be able to either.
@Baker1000 I only played the first game way back on the PS2, but I assume the title numbers have to do with the timeline of the story. So I assume 0.2 means it's a prequel to the events of the first series? Maybe?
I could understand the logic behind it, maybe they thought it was 'edgy' or whatever but it also kind of makes the series less appealing and more confusing to newcomers. What's with the 382/2 days title? Does 2.8 mean it took place after the events of 2 or that it's the 2nd entry but with many many additions that weren't originally included in the original game?
I know there are logical answers to these questions, but as a newcomer, I shouldn't be this confused on which game contains which part of the story just based on the titles.
@steely_pete first time I’ve ever seen a comment on NL hit triple digit likes. Congratulations!
Hey, at least we still have the rhythm game, right guys?
Seriously, way to go Square, hyping everyone up with the Sora as a smash reveal and then completely demolish that hype with this cloud version collection when you could have just as easily ported the ps3 version on the Switch, no problem.
@Cyberbotv2 yeah there were meant to be high capacity 64GB carts available starting from 2020.
Not heard of any games that utilise them though. Kingdom Hearts could have been the first!... But ofc Square cheaped out.
Saber Interactive did an amazing job squeezing Witcher 3 onto the 32GB cart!
@Kidfunkadelic83 DDD is imo the worst game in the series. I've played every single one except 3 and 0.2. DDD is one of the few games I regret buying and playing. The obligatory pet/nintendogs minigames and the tediousness of being interrupted and sent to either Sora or Riku were terrible design decisions.
Yet I still don't get why DDD which was on the ARM-based 3DS couldn't get a reasonable port to the Switch without too much hassle. Is their source code really that bad to work with??
@Arkantos2990 Actually, they were remade for the PS3, with the PS3 versions ported, not remade, for the PS4.
@Anti-Matter So the first game is actually two games, 1.5 and 2.5? So there's technically 4 games on offer here?
Cloud versions will always be instant skip.
@Baker1000
1.5 = KH1 Final Mix + some KH from KH Re:Chain of Memories, KH 358/2 Days (HD remastered cinematics)
2.5 = KH2 Final Mix + some KH from KH Birth by Sleep FINAL MIX, KH Re:coded (HD remastered cinematics)
2.8 = KH 3DS Dream Drop Distance HD + KH χ Back Cover (movie) + KH 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage –
@Baker1000 7 games and 3 movies.
Games: Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain Of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance, Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth By Sleep (not as much of a game, but still playable), Kingdom Hearts 3.
Movies: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (playable on DS), Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded (playable on DS), Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover.
A game with Re: in the title is a version that originated on one device, got remade and the version in the collection is that remake. Re:Chain Of Memories was the GBA game Chain Of Memories remade for PS2. Re:Coded was originally a mobile game called Coded but ported to the DS.
A game with Final Mix in the title means it was a later version of the game with extra content that was exclusive to Japan before the PS3 versions.
Vote with your wallets nintendolifers!
So here are the prospects of this:
1. This "release" booms and squeenix learns their lesson and make actual releases of at least all the games other than 0.2 and 3.
2. People actually buy these and all the people who experience the series for the first time are inevitably left with a very bad impression of it and never want to touch it again, damaging the legacy of this series. Great way to plan for the future Disney and Squeenix 👍
Either way it sucks. I don't even want to think about how horrible doing that already infuriating race against Riku on Destiny Island in KH1 will be with the added input lag. Jeezzzz...
There's no excuse for not porting KH1 etc.. My potato PC can run the Epic game store version in 1080p at more than 120fps. I can only reasonably imagine that the source code is a mess to work with, but making the effort to port to ARM would really be future-proofing themselves since PCs will inevitably be moving to ARM and if they'd want to make a port to android and ios then that would make sense too.
I wish they were on Stadia instead since that's the only cloud gaming platform that actually just works the way you want it to.
I wish we were in the all-cloud-gaming future where you can play any game on any device already and not have this console exclusive nonsense.
Okay people, if there's any time to ban together and riot - NOW'S THE TIME!
This is unacceptable, this is worse than nothing, cloud means it will never actually be portable. This news is equally as bad as Sora in smash was great news. We gotta tell Nintendo, at this point steam deck is looking better and better.
Oh wow ps2 games on the cloud?!? What the hell were they thinking! Hope this flops worse than Balan Wonderworld!
As the Switch acts just as controller and display, I would not call cloud versions as switch games. So for me personally: No, Kingdom Hearts games are not coming to the switch. Same with the other cloud releases of course.
Embarrasing.
@Red9 No need to riot, this is low effort from one gaming franchise, all other franchises/developers can choose to make the same mistake or see that this is not wanted by consumers. If they make mistakes, they lose money.
I would like to think if cloud gaming wasn't even an option, they probably wouldn't have even considered porting the KH collection to Switch. Sora is a new fighter in SMASH, cool, so what is the most minimal thing KH can do to accommodate this announcement? Cloud-gaming. It's barely a commitment, they can stop paying to host the games whenever they feel like it. I am not insulted as a gamer, but it is an insulting gesture.
I am all for Cloud versions of games if they genuinely cannot come to Switch any other way. I see it as a solution to a real problem. However, there is no problem involved, surely, regarding bringing PS3 games to the system. It doesn't need a cloud solution.
Very odd decision. Disney seem to be making a few of those on Switch recently.
We have enough clouds in the uk, thank you very much. Take your clouds elsewhere
They've finally found a way to say software sales are tanking on the Switch. I'll buy all of these when the devil hits me with a snow-pig with wings.
Way to kill the hype i was happy to hear about kingdom hearts coming to switch but noooooo its cloud version seriously this is 2021 they can't do physical copies
Total skip
Why bother? I was happy for a second until I read “cloud versions”…
@Drommajin same lol
Cloud fastest way to end a game series.
Hi all,
Could someone clarify if these three games will have ALL Kingdom Hearts content (minus that music one on switch)?
I've only ever played the 3DS one with Roxas (which i think is a movie now?) And really want to get into the series now its coming to switch.
Please let me know if I will miss anything if I just play these 3 games.
Wow.. I'd rather they of just continued saying they can't port it. The Switch has a giant demand for physical offline copies with no download and this would of sold like hotcakes in the current market. The internet infrastructure in the USA is just not ready for this streaming BS.
Cloud versions can go sich a d***! F U Squeenix! Refuse to bring most games physical to North America forcing us to import for those who prefer physical and now this? This is a 100% NO if that's how this is gonna go.
I was incredibly excited...
I'm surprised even the pre-III games are coming as cloud versions. The fact that Dream Drop Distance is only playable through Cloud on Switch while it's a full release on the 3DS is hilarious at worst.
This can't be the only way to play the main games, they need to release actual ports.
Nope. I don't think so.
Glad i got this on PS4.
The problem with those games will be if people buy them. Vote with your wallets!
@NintendoGamer22
I definitely agree. People can get irritated or even offended by cloud games, but in the end: If they didn't make them cloud games, we wouldn't have gotten those games at all. It feels like many people are pretty black and white about it and think "if I can't have the game because my internet sucks, then nobody shall have it!!11".
At the end of the day, it's just that people who would never have gotten the games still don't get it, and those with better internet will get them... It's better that some will get the chance to play them than nobody at all.
By the way, still find it quite ironic that people overseas thought I had bad internet when I complained about PKMN SW/SH lag online when it released, but at the same time, I'm sitting here, just chilling and playing cloud games with my mobile connection xD It's good stuff
@danemord The problem is that a very good Internet Connection capable of running cloud games is a privilege most people can't afford
Yet considering one thing in particular (the fact that the Original Source Codes of KH I Final Mix and Re: Chain of Memories were completely deleted from SE Archives and thus the Games were remade from the ground up for the PS3 rather than a HD remaster) is understandable why these are Cloud Versions instead of a port considering that PS3, while less powerful than the Switch in Raw Specs, it was the hardest console to develop for in history thanks to the Cell Processor being a real pickle to work with.
This also meant that: 1 Bringing PS3 to other consoles is impossible without from the Ground up Remakes. (The games that we're getting as Cloud Version are the PS4 Remakes instead of the PS3 ones)
And 2, Emulating the PS3 was basically impossible until the last couple of years when CPUs and GPUs became capable, Processors that are too far ahead than the Switch's Tegra X1in raw metrics
Thou shalt not make a single player game that requires an always online connection or an online check-in.
It's like Sim City reboot's failure, Diablo 3's error 37 fiasco, the Ubisoft PC version always online idea and the backlash against the XBox One's initial plan for online didn't send a clear enough message to the industry (It can be summed up in two words).
There is not a single game in my collection that requires an always online connection. I will NOT spend money on something that will become a frisbee or a plastic chip the moment a server get closed.
I do not see any difference between what I've mentioned above and cloud games. If I want to play the earlier Kingdom Hearts games at home, I can buy physical copies for PS2. I'm a Switch Lite owner who does a lot of my Switch gaming on public transport (where always online is not exactly an option).
Are you trying to save Final Fantasy: All The Bravest from being your worst idea, Square Enix?
I don't do cloud gaming. It's like paying an exorbitant rental fee. They can stick their cloud gaming up their (censored).
@twadebarcelona all of that is in this one collection?!
@Baker1000 Based on if it is one whole collection, which it appears to be, then that list I made is everything.
Even with my fast internet and great MESHed home network that even reaches the outbuildings. There’s no way I’d ever ever pay money for “cloud versions” of games.
Case in point. About 5 years ago I bought Flashback on my iPhone. It wasn’t streamed as such. The game had considerable file size for the game it is, but was missing a key file. That file was downloaded each time you played the game and nulled when quit. God knows why. But resulted in the game no longer working when their site went down.
Yet I’ve bought other games from that era. Angry Birds, Sonic 2. And so on. And all them still work.
Cloud games? You’re only renting them. It’s not even like digital downloads where you can play your games FOREVER so long that you back them up onto your Apple iMac or MacBook Pro.
Imagine paying money to rent games you can't even have the option of purchasing after the rental period lol.
I would be a LOT more okay with cloud versions if they weren’t full price
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