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 TOY FAIR 2002: PART 1    |
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N2 TOYS - KINGDOM HEARTS
By Matthew Greenbaum We were shown the full spectrum of N2's current and upcoming action-figure offerings by an exceptionally friendly and charming representative. Our first stop was the bizarre and surprising "Kingdom Hearts" action-figure line, which ties into the upcoming video game being co-produced by Walt Disney and Squaresoft. It represents perhaps the boldest and strangest Disney crossover since "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?". The game apparently blends themes from both classic Disney films and a universe not unlike Square's smash hit Final Fantasy franchise. Three adventurous youths, who with their spiked hairdos and armor-like outfits strongly resemble Final Fantasy characters, are hit by a black tornado and find themselves scattered in a strange land. At the same time, Mickey Mouse's enchanted kingdom comes under attack by the very creepy-looking Ultimate Heartless (who himself resembles various Final Fantasy villains). Reasoning that once you have stolen people's hearts, you can easily control them, Heartless tries to spread evil through all the realms inhabited by Disney's most famous characters. It's up to Goofy, Donald Duck, and our three spiky-haired youths to rescue their friends and defeat Heartless, all the while travelling through levels themed after classic Disney movies such as "Sleeping Beauty," "The Little Mermaid," and "Hercules." Beyond that, few specifics are yet known about the storyline of the KH videogame, which is eventually due for release on PlayStation-2 first in Japan and, later, in the U.S. Whether the original Disney actors will return to voice their video-game character counterparts is unknown. N2 themselves had only received the license a month before Toy Fair--and in that very short span of time, they were able to create some very impressive action-figure mock-ups. On display were both Goofy figur, and one of the Square characters wielding a huge key that doubled as a sword (the use of keys and unlocking things will play a prominent role, somehow, in the final storyline).
Copyright 2002 Altered States Magazine |
