History YMMV / KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories

** The decision to publish on a different console. ''[=COM=]'' was released for the Platform/GameBoyAdvance instead of the Platform/PlayStation2 like the [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI first game]]; this was considered acceptable if not ideal in 2004 since the GBA was the only widespread handheld, so if there had to be a spinoff there were few other options. The game is also arguably not required viewing to understand ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. However, over time more of these handheld "spinoffs" were released ("spinoffs" in quotes because they were actually critical to the MythArc all along, ''[=COM=]'' included) on competing systems; when all was said and done, playing every game on release and avoiding the ContinuityLockout required five different dedicated gaming consoles ''and'' a compatible Japanese cellphone. Remakes and remasters have rectified this; as of 2019 you only need a Platform/PlayStation4 or Platform/XboxOne to experience basically the entire series[[note]]To be fair, the two Platform/NintendoDS installments are presented as cutscene compilations and not proper games. The [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsX second mobile game]], meanwhile, does not appear in the compilations but is still very accessible thanks to its Android/[=iOS=] compatibility.[[/note]] as well as ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsMelodyOfMemory''. That said, ''Melody of Memory'' is also on the Platform/NintendoSwitch, where ''none'' of the other games were playable until 2021.

* AdaptationDisplacement: Most people have experienced the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation 2}} remake and its remasters while not even bothering with the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance original, if they're even aware of it at all.

** The decision to publish on a different console. ''[=COM=]'' was released for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance instead of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 like the [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI first game]]; this was considered acceptable if not ideal in 2004 since the GBA was the only widespread handheld, so if there had to be a spinoff there were few other options. The game is also arguably not required viewing to understand ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. However, over time more of these handheld "spinoffs" were released ("spinoffs" in quotes because they were actually critical to the MythArc all along, ''[=COM=]'' included) on competing systems; when all was said and done, playing every game on release and avoiding the ContinuityLockout required five different dedicated gaming consoles ''and'' a compatible Japanese cellphone. Remakes and remasters have rectified this; as of 2019 you only need a UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 or UsefulNotes/XboxOne to experience basically the entire series[[note]]To be fair, the two UsefulNotes/NintendoDS installments are presented as cutscene compilations and not proper games. The [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsX second mobile game]], meanwhile, does not appear in the compilations but is still very accessible thanks to its Android/[=iOS=] compatibility.[[/note]] as well as ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsMelodyOfMemory''. That said, ''Melody of Memory'' is also on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, where ''none'' of the other games were playable until 2021.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The [=FMVs=] at the start of Sora's story and at the end of Reverse/Rebirth in ''Chain of Memories''. These are full-blown [=FMVs=], at ''least'' [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation PS1]] quality, with character models that could almost have been taken directly from the other ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' games. All this from the equivalent of a slightly more powerful hand-held SNES. Just don't play it on a GBA player - the rest of the game scales very well to the big screen. The [=FMVs=] on the other hand...

** Trickmaster is already an annoying boss due to the table mechanic, but it gets worse in ''Reverse/Rebirth''. Riku's deck in Wonderland is made up of just 9 cards, with none of them having a value higher than 5. This makes it very difficult to break anything Trickmaster throws at you without stocking cards.

** Captain Hook. His GeoEffects screw up your summon cards, his dodge rate is insane, he can throw bombs seemingly without end, and his sword attack is extremely difficult to dodge. Better bring your zeroes and your cures -- you're gonna ''need'' it all. The remake, on the other hand, made him somewhat easier because the fight is done in a 3D space instead of a 2.5D one.
** Hades is one of the only Disney bosses (Hook above being the other one) that uses Sleights, and loves making your life a living hell with them, which hit like a truck.
** Ursula in ''Reverse/Rebirth''. Almost every move she makes is an 8 or 9 card, making it very difficult to break her to charge up Dark Points, she spends most of the match out of range of Riku's Sleights and Duel attacks, destroying her tentacles forces Riku to get into melee range and likely be attacked back, and remember your only source of healing is Mickey. The developers clearly did not design this boss with Riku's different style of gameplay in mind, and it shows.
** The fourth fight against [[spoiler:Riku Replica]] in Sora's story, as he ''loves'' to spam his sleights and uses his own enemy card (which prevents him from losing the first sleight card for 5 sleights). Additionally, Sora doesn't have access to any friend cards during this battle, [[spoiler:as he ran away from Donald and Goofy before he entered Destiny Islands]]. The final battle with [[spoiler:Riku Replica]] in Riku Mode isn't much better. Doubly so in the Game Boy Advance version since you have only one method of healing: Regen. Better use it well.
** To make up for his anti-climatic second form, Marluxia's third form in the remake uses almost ''nothing'' but rapid-fire Sleights, making it much harder to interrupt him. He can hit you from almost anywhere on the stage (especially with the aptly-named Omni Laser), [[BlownAcrossTheRoom blow you out of striking range]], [[ManaBurn wipe out your deck]] with Whirlwind to the Void and then render the lost cards unrecoverable with Circle Reject. And to top it off, he can hit you with [[TimeDelayedDeath Doom]], which locks you in place and instantly kills you if you can't break six of his cards in six seconds. This attack not only [[PowerNullifier completely ignores the Vexen card]] (gives you one free auto-revive should you die) that a player may have equipped, but the resulting death will boot you back to Marluxia's second form, meaning you have to endure two bosses in consecutive order to beat the game. If the rest of the game hasn't taught you how to use 0s, Marluxia's final form ''will'' make you regret it.
** Riku's final boss fight against Ansem in the Game Boy Advance version is notorious for being able to constantly stunlock you with attacks that have a ''very'' short-cooldown and can then attack while you're still staggered. He normally runs at you and hits you ''first''. The boss will also break your attacks, especially longer ones with ease (such as Mickey Mouse), meaning the only reliable sleight you have is Dark Firaga (since it's too quick if you're close enough and can stun enemies). You more or less ''have'' to exploit the [[GoodBadBugs Double Jump Glitch]] or Dark Mode, though [[FridgeBrilliance Dark Mode making the final boss easier does make thematic sense]].

* BrokenBase: The game's card-based battle system is highly controversial. Some fans complain that managing cards in the middle of a battle is frustrating, the deck building aspect has a steep learning curve, and the game becomes unbearably easy once the player learns to spam [[GameBreaker certain combos]]. Others enjoy it because it keeps the basics of the franchise's combat while also encouraging players to experiment until they find the strategy that best fits their play style, arguing that learning the intricacies of the battle system make for a very rewarding experience.

* MoralEventHorizon: Marluxia, the one who is placed in charge of Castle Oblivion, is certainly not a good boss to work under. He's very manipulative to all he meets, including his fellow members stationed with him in that place, especially when he forces Vexen to fight Sora by exploiting his fear of "The Superior". To make matters worse, he plotted to usurp control of the Organization with Larxene tagging along by having Sora lose all of his memories which would put the boy under his sway, intending to use him to defeat all of his colleagues to that end; the fact that [[WouldHurtAChild Sora is still a kid]] only causes his morality to be confirmed to be downright evil. His treatment of Naminé isn't all that better; he doesn't care about her personal space, constantly abuses her verbally and tries to use her as a HumanShield when brawling with Axel (and he does the same during his final battle with Sora in the manga adaptation).

* ContestedSequel: Is it ever, particularly due to the [[ScrappyMechanic card-based battle system]].

*** This is softened somewhat by ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' revealing that he actually [[spoiler:merged with Riku's heart]] and later [[BackForTheFinale returned to help out]].

* CheeseStrategy: [[https://youtu.be/xMx-gCPm89c?si=3n93RYDJE4LwaCwm&t=813s As demonstrated by Stickman Sham]], you can combine the Maleficent card with the effects of Lexaeus's Level 1 charge to deal immense amounts of damage to him with Dark Aura. The key behind this strategy is having Halloween Town be the last world you visit before fighting Lexaeus.

* CheeseStrategy: [[https://youtu.be/xMx-gCPm89c?si=3n93RYDJE4LwaCwm&t=813s As demonstrated by Stickman Sham]], if the last world you enter before fighting Lexaeus is Halloween Town, you can combine the Maleficent card with the effects of Lexaeus's Level 1 charge to deal immense amounts of damage to him with Dark Aura.

* EvilIsSexy: Larxene, who is as attractive as she is cruel. Her MemeticMolester status certainly adds to this.

* BreatherBoss: Larxene's second boss fight. While she is not too easy, the encounter is a lot easier than [[ThatOneBoss the one just before it]]. Not so in the [=PS2=] remake, though, where it is just as difficult, if not more so.

* DemonicSpiders: Neoshadows. Every battle with one usually involves [[ThatOneAttack their stupid spinning attack that hits you 95% of the time and does a buttload of damage]], and they usually spam 7s and 8s everywhere. [[PurposelyOverpowered Riku gets the Lexaeus Card in the final level for a reason.]]

** By far, the character most affected by this trope ''has'' to be Mickey Mouse, though. In the remake, you can hear Wayne Allwine clearly struggling to both deliver Mickey's lines convincingly while also having to dub over the footage to match the Japanese timings rather than having the freedom to say them at his own speed like the other games he was in. Allwine wasn't an anime dub actor and it showed in this game's remake, since most of the other actors do much better at delivering their lines. However his performance is justified by the fact that he was literally ''dying of diabetes'' at the time of recording.
* NoYay: [[MemeticMolester Marluxia]] and Namine. Believe it or not, [[https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&client=firefox-b-d&biw=1366&bih=635&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=W2hxXLycKYHlvASUxoLIDg&q=marluxia+and+namine&oq=marluxia+and+namine&gs_l=img.3..0.22029.24945..25179...0.0..0.497.4802.0j2j3j4j5......1....1..gws-wiz-img.......35i39j0i67j0i24.pGtqJ8HPJjA#imgrc=_ there are quite a number of fanarts about them]]. Also, Riku and "Ansem", in particular the scene where "Ansem" advances on Riku, talking about how he's going to [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything invade his heart]], while Riku desperately tries to fight back.

*** Creeper Plants not only have a terrible tendency to inflict Card Breaks on you at the start of the game and shoot seeds at you, but they can also compensate for their stationary position by sprouting their roots from underneath you, causing you to fall flat and lose 60 Moogle Points.

** Farming Moogle Points is tedious and unfun, because they only come from interacting with environment objects, and not from winning battles. You can sell old cards instead, but that's hardly better -- most of your cards [[Catch22Dilemma are bought from the Moogle Shops in the first place]], and the free ones mostly come from [[MortonsFork interacting with environment objects]]. Fortunately there are twice the alternatives for gaining Moogle Points: Aladdin's Sandstorm attack and environmental interaction in 100 Acre Wood. ''Not'' slipping on the Bouncywild's banana peels though, because then you'd have to go and retrieve the ones you've lost.

** The Creeper Plants have a terrible tendency to break your cards and pluck you off of Moogle Points with their Root Needle attack.

** The Creeper Plants have a terrible tendency to break your cards.

** To make up for his anti-climatic second form, Marluxia's third form in the remake uses almost ''nothing'' but rapid-fire Sleights, making it much harder to interrupt him. He can hit you from almost anywhere on the stage (especially with the aptly-named Omni Laser), [[BlownAcrossTheRoom blow you out of striking range]], [[ManaBurn wipe out your deck]] with Whirlwind to the Void and then render the lost cards unrecoverable with Circle Reject. And to top it off, he can hit you with [[TimeDelayedDeath Doom]], which locks you in place and instantly kills you if you can't break six of his cards in six seconds. This attack not only [[NoSell completely ignores the Vexen card]] (gives you one free auto-revive should you die) that a player may have equipped, but the resulting death will boot you back to Marluxia's second form, meaning you have to endure two bosses in consecutive order to beat the game. If the rest of the game hasn't taught you how to use 0s, Marluxia's final form ''will'' make you regret it.

** To make up for his anti-climatic second form, Marluxia's third form in the remake uses almost ''nothing but'' rapid-fire Sleights, making it much harder to interrupt him. He can hit you from almost anywhere on the stage (especially with the aptly-named Omni Laser), [[BlownAcrossTheRoom blow you out of striking range]], [[ManaBurn wipe out your deck]] with Whirlwind to the Void and then render the lost cards unrecoverable with Circle Reject. And to top it off, he can hit you with [[TimeDelayedDeath Doom]], which locks you in place and instantly kills you if you can't break six of his cards in six seconds. If the rest of the game hasn't taught you how to use 0s, Marluxia's final form ''will'' make you regret it.

** When he's defeated for good, Maluxia weakly utters "So this...this is the heart of a hero!" before perishing, which is retroactively made sad by [[spoiler:the fact he was once both a hero and Keyblade wielder]].

* FanNickname: The [[spoiler:Riku Replica]] is occasionally referred to as "Repliku". It's even his official name in the D-Report in the German version.

** When he's defeated for good, Maluxia weakly utters "So this...this is the heart of a hero!" before perishing, which is retroactively made sad by the fact he was once both a hero and Keyblade wielder.

* SelfImposedChallenge: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_DADP3k4Qs As it turns out]], it is entirely possible to beat Re:Chain of Memories while only using a single card deck.