The premise of this game is to tell you what happened between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2. As it turns out, the answer is "not much". Despite the topnotch presentation, the story here is threadbare and largely uninteresting. But we all know that it's gameplay that matters and, well, 358/2 falls a little short there as well. While the RPG character development is handled quite well, the actual combat is repetitive and you'll find yourself just mashing the attack button over and over again with little variation. It's reasonably entertaining, all things considered, but there are better games out there.… Collapse

Squareenix creates another installation of the popular Kingdom Hearts series. This game takes place after Kingdom Hearts I , during Chain of Memories and before Part II. The game's storyline explains the events before part 2 and to the origin of Roxas who now plays the protagonist role. The game includes familiar worlds with a different set of routes from the previous games. The gameplay is similar but includes a complex structure compared to previous games. This is by far the most difficult Kingdom Hearts game and can be the most annoying at the same time. Not recommended for beginners of the series as you wont like the gameplay as much nor would you understand the storyline.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the most disappointing and unnecessary Kingdom Hearts title I've ever played. It was the DS's first attempt at a KH title. Boy, does it show. Some of the controls are awkward and gameplay lacks variation. It's a mission-based game and a poorly made one at that. Almost all the missions are exactly the same: Beat up a certain number of Heartless and get out. The only good thing I can say about this game is the somewhat interesting story involving Axel, Roxas, and a newbie named Xion. Roxas is partnered with her at some point in the story and, as the tale goes on, Roxas begins to lose some of his powers due to Xion's unusual power-draining ability, which is something she's unaware of until nearing the end of the game. Also learning that she holds some of Roxas' memories, she tells Roxas that they must clash in order to restore him back to normal. I'm sure you can guess what happens next. Other than that, the game was a repetitive chore just to see that stuff. My opinion? Stay away from this game and just watch the cutscenes on Youtube.… Expand

I really wanted to like this game due to the reviews. But the slow dialogue I ended up skipping in anger. The odd controls. The squint inducing scaled out graphics. Where the hell is mickey by the way. Fail. Go play bowsers inside story.

A fun game that gets hampered by a mess of repetition. Moving from room to room can feel tedious, and for longtime fans, the use of many worlds they've already seen in previous KH titles is a disappointment. That doesn't mean there's a lack of quality, far from it. The story begins with Roxas, introduced in Kingdom Hearts 2 as the Nobody of Sora (please don't make me explain that) as he joins Organization XIII (or that). The battle system, while somewhat simplistic, is still a blast. One of the best new features is the level-up system, which applies to more than just Roxas (spells, weapons, etc), gives you a great deal of control over how you prefer to play (spellcasting, melee, defense, and others). There's also a multiplayer mode, a first for the series, but sadly have yet to try it with friends (one of the DS titles where everyone must have the game to play multiplayer). Called Mission Mode, these extra missions can be unlocked as you progress through the main story mode, allowing you to earn items and XP. These can still be played single player. Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days might have one of the worst titles ever, but its a good game with one major flaw that takes down its quality as a whole. Lapsed fans of the series won't find anything new to bring them back, while the hardcore faithful will definitely be overjoyed by it. Newcomers, I'd suggest giving it a spin if possible before making a decision. (PS: If you were curious, the name is pronounced 'Kingdom Hearts Three Five Eight Days Over Two.' How that's possible is a question I too still ponder.)… Expand

It's okay. The pannel system isn't as great as the card or skill set battle systems from other games. The graphics are okay, but not the best. Like all the other games, the beginning and end cutscenes are incredibly good looking, though. The new mini-mission style of play also ruins the pacing. The enemies, locals, and music are all really interesting, but it's all recicled from Kingdom Hearts 2. There are very few new things. The story is pretty much the only good part, but not as good as as any of the other except the first one. Unfortunatly the gameplay gets old fast. Oh yeah, if you beat the game and complete all the missions, you unlock some extra characters, which is pretty cool. In conclusion, this is the weakest one in the series other than the PS2 port of Chain of Memories.… Expand

I absolutely loved this game! My favorite Kingdom Hearts side game (not including Birth by Sleep, which isn't really a side game, but more like the console games). Great gameplay, and a beautiful story that has a very tearful ending (in fact, it was the first time I ever cried from a work of fiction!).

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This installment of Kingdom Hearts was a unique experience. Granted, I've seen better, but this isn't that bad of a game. Unique multiplayer characters, each with their own unique weapons and fighting styles, somewhat make-up for a rather slow story. The dialogue frequently makes you want to skip, but at the same time you will miss the story if you do.

This game isn't perfect, but it's bloody close. For fans of the series then it's interesting to see the character development, especially between Roxas and Axel, and it's cool to see what was going on during that big gap between COM and KH2. Then there's the gameplay, which is fantastically done, despite the fact that you might have to take a break to rest your thumb every now and then. The story is a little loose, but very engaging and gives a deeper insight into the relationships between the characters. My biggest complaint about this game is that there are no new levels. All of the maps are lifted from the other games which is a bit of a rip off. Other than that there are no big holes in this game. Veteran fans will enjoy the story line, newcomers will be equally pleased with the gameplay and everyone will be pleased with how visually impressive it is for a handheld. Basic point you should take away from this review: BUY THIS GAME!… Expand

I have to agree with the reviewers who say this is for Kingdom Hearts fans, but as a Kingdom Hearts fan, I can safely say that this is a fantastic addition to the series and is essentially a PS2 game squeezed into the DS, which is an amazing feat

They did well transforming Kingdom Hearts into the DS. KH offers very mobile friendly play styles. In story mode, you get a series of quests you can go on. Each one feels like a reasonable amount of time. This format works well on the DS can you can pick-up-and-play and do one quest and put it back down or if you have more time, you can keep playing for a more common feeling, but one that's constantly broken up by returning to the castle (RTC). Playing the game like that will lessen the game, thankfully, that's not how DS games are typically played. The one big issue would be camera angles and zoning. There's a fair amount of problems with the camera not following the charters direction, requiring constant pressing of the "R" key to re-place the camera. Also, some angles feel awkward and hard to navigate and you might miss some jumps as you thought the way was clear, but wasn't due to the camera angle.… Expand

While I enjoyed the two main Kingdom Hearts games, the portable releases have been rather weak. The developers deserve credit for adapting the gameplay of the console games on the DS but it's not without flaws. It's extremely difficult to control the camera to keep up with all the enemies, turning simple fights into frustrating ones. The repetitive and dull missions, which feel like a tutorial for most of the game, really slow things down. The music and visuals are both very good, containing familiar areas, faces and tunes from the series. What really hurt the game is the weak story... for nearly the entire game, you're only given minor details and snippets of the story but I will say that the final few hours are absolutely fantastic and will put Kingdom Hearts II into a much more powerful perspective. This game is flawed but fans of the series will find some enjoyment in it.… Expand

Even though this game is technically a side-story, I really enjoyed it for its story and gameplay. The action-oriented combat helped this game felt more like a traditional Kingdom Hearts title than Chain of Memories. I had fun strategizing with the panel system once I started unlocking panels. For the first 8 or so missions you feel like you donâ

Probably kingdom hearts 358/2 days is one of the best games made ​​for the Nintendo DS. The plot is well done and moving, solid gameplay and really fun and great to be technically done for DS. The only flaw is that there is a wide variety of worlds but for the rest is done really well. Fans of the series will appreciate it very much.

In my opinion KH 358/2 has the best story ever seen in Kingdom Hearts' Saga. Some problem with control but is one of the best game played in my life. The explanation of Roxas' story makes this character probably one of my favourite hero (after Goku).

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is a remarkable experience you don't want to miss out on. If is very emotional and all the characters pull you in. The 3D worlds are an incredible feat for the DS to handle. It is quite impressive how Square Enix managed to scale down the PS2 worlds onto the DS.

The gameplay is just like how it was. Real time fighting with an RPG menu on your side. Through out the game, you take out on missions to do certain tasks. The tasks range from defeating an enemy to investigating a world.

You should get this masterpiece for your DS, it is really fun and it has an excellent story to back it up.… Expand

Flaws: it's heavily combat-focused, and it gets really repetitive over the course of the 30 hour campaign; the story-telling isn't too stellar (poor pacing and not much feeling of the player advancing the plot); and the camera is really annoying, as you'd expect in most 3D DS games. The worst example of the last flaw came with one giant flying boss fight where the target continually moved, had lots of health, and really powerful attacks, which was all the more frustrating in that most magic attacks need perfect aiming, and when you attack with your Keyblade you stay in one spot, so the target's moved after the first hit.
Good points: I actually got really into the story and these characters, even if they weren't the deepest or most complex out there. The only reason I persevered through the aforementioned annoying boss-fight was because I wanted to see how the story ended, and I'm glad I did. Also, while repetitive and frequently frustrating, the combat still had just enough satisfaction and fun to it to keep going. I also quite liked the panel system they implemented for switching between different weapons, magic attacks, items, and perks. The extra modes were quite interesting too, in which you can play through previous levels with one of over a dozen different characters, including other Organisation members, Donald, and Goofy. Overall, I found it good, but not great. It was interesting enough for me to see it through to the end, but you'll likely find it incredibly repetitive and more than a bit frustrating.… Expand

This is a decent game. The gameplay is the same as kingdom hearts(More or less). The story is good. The voice acting, of whats there, is pretty good. Also, the boss fights offer a decent challenge some of the time. Graphically, this game is one of the best on the D.S. The slot system is interesting but can be a real pain. The multiplayer is somewhat fun but some of the characters you unlock are downright terrible. Still, 358/2 is a decent game.… Expand

The saddest part of the kh's story. Of course it's not even near the level of the ps2 titles and I expected a bit more from the graphics, but I still enjoyed it 'cause it's freaking kh.

A technically impressive game but not the most fun. The game focuses on events before kingdom hearts 2 with you playing as Roxas. The story has some good points particularly near the end but overall it just didn't interest me that much. It was nice to develop the characters of organization XIII more but it just felt unnecessary and uninteresting. The combat is all well and good except the DS's lack of buttons means we get the terrible camera controls from KH 1. Also the difficulty spikes return as well and come literally out of nowhere. Also the game adds nothing new with the same locations as in kingdom hearts 2 and no new characters except Xion who confuses the plot even more than it already was.… Expand