I will not postpone this entry to the day the game was first released in Europe. Instead I’m celebrating it today, the day when the magic first began. I could tell you a million stories on how this game has changed me, a thousand memories I have related to it, but I feel I could never accurately convey my feelings into typed word. It’s only through experiencing this game that you’ll get to know how special it is.

Maybe some people will never understand it, perhaps they’ll think it’s the hype, or whatever, but if they could think of their most treasured childhood memories, things might be different. I’ve been playing this game since about 2003 and I cannot put into words the excitement I felt every time I opened that box and put the CD on the disk tray. The days I spent at my grandmother’s house every summer, playing this game on a 15 inch tv, I’m never getting them back, but at least I have great memories. And I’m glad they’re about this game.

Sometimes I wish people could see, I wish they understood the affection felt for a dozen Save Files. Most people don’t get it, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s like my childhood is compressed into these files, every minute of everyday spent playing, every emotion attached to those records, every tear shed, every wish.

I’ve been fascinated with it since the very beginning. I absolutely loved Station of Awakening and the mystery surrounding it, the way it made me feel kind of uncomfortable, but at peace. Where you somehow started deciding the fate of your character, in small gestures such as choosing a weapon. Traverse Town felt like home to me. And then Hollow Bastion and End of The World were mind blowing and intimidating and fearful, and exceeded any expectations I had for the game.

Now I’ve constantly tried to summon my own Keyblade, and as I began to grow up I convinced myself it would never happen. But when I turn on my tv and Playstation 2 again, I turn into the hopeful 8 year old kid I was when I first got the game. I stretch my arm up above my head and wait for the key to materialize itself, and for a second it isn’t about it really appearing in my hand anymore, it’s about believing.

I may not have played all the games or know every little detail about the saga, but I value it beyond imagination. It has affected me in such a way that I’ll never forget it or stop enjoying it. Most of you probably never understand, but I know other gamers do. I’ve heard people say that games like Zelda or Super Mario bring back feelings of nostalgia, and that they have changed their lives. I do believe it’s possible, and in that context, Kingdom Hearts could be my nostalgic game. And I’m pretty sure no other game will ever replace it. 

That said, happy 10th anniversary, Kingdom Hearts.

It’s been an amazing ten years.