Looking at an Old Beta of Kingdom Hearts in 2001 

I don't know if I still have it, but I'm 100% sure that the instruction booklet for kingdom hearts 1 lists the ages of sora, kairi, and riku.

That beta title straight up looks like a street gang's graffiti name.

When the trailers first appeared on TV, I got a VHS and recorder, then waited for commercials, and then when one would play, I'd record it. Different TV spots from before it came out. Different clips from tech TV and other similar such stuff. It's so much easier now, haha.

I can't speak for Riku, but I imagine they ages Sora down by a year because that was the age of both the English and Japanese voice actors at the time the game would release. Since neither had their voices deepen like that of someone the intended age would, it was likely easier to just roll back the age by a year and then the timeskip for KH2 would explain away both VA's suddenly deeper voices.

One thing I’d like to add… in both KH1 PS2 and the HD Remaster, by pushing left on the D-Pad, you can hear the select sound effect. In KH2, this would later be the second menu for summons, switching party members, and limits. While I do think its just a leftover sound bug… it raises my curiosity to believe, there might’ve been plans to add a second menu. Its really interesting to see that even 20 years later… there’s still so many mysteries to one of the best JRPGs ever made

Their ages are confirmed in the manual for kingdom hearts 1.

The booklet for the games on PS2 gives ages for the Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

Wait second Sora can summon bahumat in kh1. Like WOW I can not believe kh1 final mix was missing that summon techic.

As far as the time skip between ReMind and Limit Cut being the longest in Sora's story, it's tied with the ine between CoM and KH2. Both are one year

bro i thought we were looking into the old beta of Kingdom Hearts 1, not the background of it and cool facts about disney working with square and shit

In 2:14 you say the age isn't confirmed but I've got the original booklet of Kingdom Hearts 1 for PS2 and there was the Age of Sora, Riku and Kairi written in it, so the Age of the characters where written since the game is out

Thanks. Also Happy Birthday!

i’m pretty confident it says their ages in jiminy’s journal, i remember it distinctly saying Sora was 14 in kh1

I completely forgot that I loved Riku's weird half-gloves back then lol

They weren’t really trying to keep the worlds and stuff separate this can be confirmed by the different Easter egg items you can see if different movies and stuff

God I wish they would have release ALL the unused Sora animations for Destiny Island in KH1. Also I wish the newer games were still like KH1 (the animation and the heavier combat feel)

Absolutely amazing, wanna try

idk why they still bothered doing the scene in chain of memories where donald and goofy changed clothes, from their OG clothes to what he have in KH

I'm just sad that they just kept removing any reference to final fantasy as time went on. KH3 has barely any final fantasy in it, if any at all

Square waited to release the game on my birthyear, lmao

I think it's just the younger they are. The wider range of audience expands further if it appeals to younger people. It basically looks like pg vs pg 13. I really wish they would accept the fact that kh fans are obviously older, typically, and younger ones can handle it if they follow the story, a lot of death, so nothing crazy or new, but.... I wish they would lean heavily into final fantasy older audiences mode. They could focus on their favorites 7, but also new ip like 16, 15, 10, 1, 3, 4, 6, chrono trigger, cross, I get it if necessary some Disney but less kid g mode and more pg 13 mode. Again, nothing new, just Pirates of the Caribbean pg-13 level of murder and blood. Like more of Tron Legacy, clearly they want to use it and plan to expand upon it. Maybe some wreck it Ralph, and it can be a toy story style and can be somewhat meta. They can go to digital Disney world or whatever and have anything they want there. Star Wars obviously would be the you know. I mean, it could be a journey of sora accompanying Luke from Farm lad newb to "stopping the emperor." Or since they have 20 shows revolving around post episode 6 Era, they can push any product they want there, or even an adventure of sora mandalorian and grogu. Obviously, a lot of sw potential to draw from, even could be a Riku thing with some sith path like Darth maul or depending what Era they set it in. Anyway, Disney has more mature property their audiences can handle and should push for it and not necessarily one advertising for upcoming or currently popular IP, just something that seamlessly fits the story. They could draw from such amazing things as black cauldron, sword in the stone, princess and the frog (voodoo, black magic), idk evil people like Gaston. Ultimately, though, I wish they would go heavy in square Enix. They can even have characters from old games that fans wish would come back, and they know they never will. Some lost someone who doesn't know how they got there but for sheer willpower or power of heart or darkness whatever. Like how Beast teleported to hollow bastion. Anyway, we don't need them to have their whole world and all the accompanying Characters, just any excuse like a tournament or something that brings people from all ff games together. Sure, have an ff7 Midgar level, but have ff8 ff9 ff10 dragon quest, threads of fate, chrono trigger, cross, ff tactics, ogre tactics, octopath, bravely default characters. Then when it comes to Disney, don't pretend the audience is primarily 13 year Olds, it's not, make it dark Disney, fighting, blood, violence, level equivalent to that which you already have such as Pirates and tron. Also, shine a lot of classic, dark forgotten Disney. You can throw Robin hood in there. Also, duels, violence in there while being a "good guy." I'm not saying make the game rated r, "I wish," but don't pretend only newborns have been playing and waiting for these games for 20 years. Plus, we get it lame frozen, boring tangled, hee haw, switch it up. Hercules for the 100th time. Aladdin again. Have more original worlds, have more Square Enix flavor and less Goofy kiddy silly goo goo ga ga, I get it the ship runs on smiles, but like make it real and engaging instead of "don't worry it'll solve itself in the end". I'm just saying Sora Kairi Riku Terra Aqua all been through some crazy shizzz. Let them feel it. Also, let them climb out of it. I just hope they make it more final fantasy mode through some the world ends with you in there.

I can't imagine how a bahamut summon would of been designed.

Hm, I only knew about the Trailer, so this was very fascinating, I appreciate this Video.

Love you man

thanks for the video

The darker lighting in Traverse Town and the magic effects looked better.

thanks dad for randomly giving me this game

Probably a stupid question, but is there a rom of the beta? I’d love to play it and see how much changed.

I still wonder ? The unknown enemy said that sora is not the true key-blade wilder . But if that was the case, was it riku to be the true wilder ?

Changing soras age is probably because of the target group. The game was made for kids and teenager, a protagonist should be young enough to give some room for identification.

Disney Castle!!

It's so cute! Haha

House of Mouse had the characters cross over was that before or after KH?

i think they aged them down to give them more time for character development as nomura most likely thought wayyy ahead from the beginning

I personally wouldn't say his 15 in Kingdom Hearts 2 . he slept for year that would make him 16

they look so much more ps1 than ps2 during that time

3:00 Japanese culture has a fascinating history around age, as in, superior and subordinate structures. There's many of these structures centred around this such as in the work place but ones age compared to their superior overwrites it in the majority of occasions. The younger ones must always respect anyone who's older than themselves. Of course, I'm just thinking and I wouldn't know the reason.

KH1 -1year-> KH2 -a few months-> KH3 -1year-> Melody of Memory (and probably KH4 as well)

Imagine if it got leaked and we could play it. Wonder what wed see. Bahamut in a KH style? Scrapped mission at Disney Castle? Lost keyblades? Maybe different disney plots by chance? Would Sora seal the keyhole in Destiny Island in the beta? 🤔🤔🤔 so many things that could be in this beta not to mention possibly even earlier remnants that we now have confirmation that exists of Sora in his half lion half humanoid form 3d model

what about the rumors that there was a bahamut summon taht they later removed becuase ot was to OP

Kh2 was the best out of the three

Why don’t you do other games for Contant why not branch out? Not to be that guy but you keep talking about the same things in your videos

It's too bad it's just a ff13 Vers game now . Magic is gone from what attracted me to the series.

Kh3 fell off so hard compared to the first two

Sora is 17 in KH2

i feel kh4 will be worse than kh3