No, really, I do. I know that they're supposed to break up the tedium in RPGs and adventure games, but it doesn't change the fact that I hate them. I'm pretty sure that's one of the big reasons why I haven't finished Wind Waker. KH2 is riddled with these obscene little demons. Granted, they aren't that difficult, and I haven't hurled my controller across the room in frustration, but I still cringe when I sniff one coming. At where I just saved, Merlin handed me the Winnie the Pooh book. I had convulsive flashbacks from the first game. Of course Sora wants to go see how Pooh is doing. Sora apparently loves doing these mini-games. I wish he would do them on auto-pilot and leave me out of it.

But hey, if that's my only complaint in this game, then this will definitely be the best game I've ever played. Well, no, that's not true. I really hated the whole idea of Party Morale in the Land of Dragons.

I've sat playing it for the last 6 hours. Straight. To most gamers, that may seem like no big deal, as they probably put in six to ten hours in a game a night. But you see, for me, I get distracted easily. And bored. The longest I can play games is usually two hours. Then I need a break, and I can come back to it later if the mood strikes me. With KH2, I actually forgot to eat dinner. I've blazed through three worlds without thinking twice about it. I only stopped because my eyelids were getting heavy.

I love so many of the features in this game that it's hard for me to not switch into fangirl mode and say "OMG! SQUEEEEEEEEE!" about each one. The big one for me is the Reaction button, especially when you're fighting bosses. No more of the same hacking away with the keyblade or waiting for special abilities to pop up at the freaking bottom of the menu. In each world, Sora has picked up some new battle technique, and all are very entertaining. Although, I have found myself not paying attention to my health gauge as I eagerly chase after bosses to see what new jaw-dropping attack Sora will do next. I finally have a game that Shawn could actually watch without getting bored. And so far, I haven't seen any weird camera action that would give him motion sickness either. (No, really, he got motion sickness while watching me fight the orbs on giant Oogie Boogie in the first game. He literally had to close his eyes and stumble out of the room.)

Another reason why I was able to play as long as I did is the story. This game is so enmeshed in a story that I keep playing to find out what is going to happen next. The first game had a deep story too, but not as engrossing as this one. It also seems to me that they made the game far more linear than the last one, which helps keep you focused on the story. I find it to be so linear that I haven't even used my strategy guide as of yet. Or, it could be that somewhere along the line I've become a decent gamer and don't need strategy guides anymore.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Hee hee, that was too funny. It may be true for this game, but I doubt it to be true for Legend of Zelda games (my ultimate downfalls).

Before I sign off for the night with this half-witted piece of writing, I have to discuss one more feature because it cracks me up. You could always examine certain objects in Kingdom Hearts, but not as many objects as you can in KH2. From garbage dumpsters to signs on walls to furniture, hardly anything is unobservable. Very King's Quest-like. As I was schooled in King's Quest, I examine everything the little green triangle button says I can. Some of the objects produce hilarious captions. Here are a couple of my favorites so far. I may make this a feature here for my personal amusement.

"This probably won't ever work again." - Roxas looking at a computer he just dismembered

"The fireplace is intricately crafted. It must have cost a fortune." - fireplace in Beast's parlor

I am extremely grateful that I played Chain of Memories before this game. I know that I could have read the story online somewhere, but if I hadn't played it first, then I wouldn't have been washed over with deja vu and awe when the game started and I heard the music from Twilight Town. Before the world title floated across the screen, I turned to Shawn and said, "Oh wow, is this Twilight Town?" If I had just read the plot, I wouldn't have had the same feelings of nostalgia. I can't say that it has given me any additional edge to the person that read a plot summary, but I wouldn't trade that initial OMG moment for anything.

That said, moving on...

KH2 changed the gameplay for the better. Auto-reload, shortcuts for items, different buttons for attacking and interaction, and the incredible combo moves... I can only imagine how much greater the first game would have been with all these features. The fight between Roxas and Axel was such an adrenaline feast for the eyes that I made sure to save in a different space from my last save right before the battle, so I could show it to Shawn when he got home. He has never really been into the games that I have played. The first Kingdom Hearts bored him, and I won't even get into how quickly he would leave the room if I put in Final Fantasy X. But when I showed him this fight scene with the new combo moves, he said that this was the best game I owned.

If the rest of the game is anything like the first four three hours has been, I really am in for a treat.

Oh, and I also have to say that I've never seen Introduction gameplay go as long as this game's does. After Roxas releases Sora, my jaw hit the coffee table when the Kingdom Hearts 2 logo flittered across the screen. It makes the original game's Introduction (Dive into the Heart sequence) pale in comparison.

I have a feeling that Twilight Princess will not be getting the love it deserves for awhile.

I generally write about what's going on with me and games and gaming in my main blog, but I think that bores most of my audience. So I'm going to bore everyone that comes here instead... all two people. Maybe. If nothing else, it will get some gaming writing out there so that maybe some gaming journalism outlet will see this and rave about what a fabulous writer I am and beg me to write for them. Ha. I'm lucky anyone even reads my main blog.