You know that friend nobody likes? The one that keeps showing up because no one’s told him to buzz off? That’s what water levels are to videogames. Upon arrival, they kill the mood and alienate anyone who was on the fence about staying or leaving. In short, they tend to ruin the entire flow of a game that’s otherwise just fine, and very few titles have been able to do liquid environments right. ... » Read More

25 Sep 2009

TalkRadar 70 - Wonderful World

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

THE INFO BOX Post date: September 25, 2009 T-Dar 70 length: 2:25:29 Quote of the week: “Anything you says, aaaaaaaah does!” Intro song by: Anamanaguchi Visit TalkRadar on: Twitter | iTunes | TalkRadar Archives ... » Read More

25 Sep 2009

Faces of Death: Disney Edition

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

Have a seat, children… Now, I know you thought Mickey, Ariel and Pinocchio would last forever, but the harsh reality of gaming is that all characters must eventually die. Often it seems like God is being cruel, yet it’s a fact that anything with a health bar will eventually perish. ... » Read More

24 Sep 2009

Grisly Disney

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

We hear you kids in the back: “Disney is nothing but kiddy bullshit! There’s no way Kingdom Hearts can be hardcore with Mickey Mouse in it.” Really, mister? Then you have no sense of history and you’re about to get some. Wipe away those knee jerk images of princesses and dancing cats - we’re about to expose the bloody, black powder underbelly of Disney’s hardcore legacy of sheer brutality! ... » Read More

23 Sep 2009

The best and worst of Mickey Mouse

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

There’s an ancient and oft cited survey floating around the web that claims that Mario is more popular than Mickey Mouse. Sure, sounds believable. Even if the source of the poll has gone unaccredited since 1990. So, in order to present the following article in terms our audience can understand: Mickey is basically the Mario of everything else. ... » Read More

23 Sep 2009

Game launch sites that inexplicably still exist

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

The internet is often thought of as a well of information, but that’s a flawed metaphor. It’s much more like a worldwide network of networks, if you follow my logic. And as the internet ages, it’s becoming littered with servers, and those servers are becoming littered with old data. ... » Read More

22 Sep 2009

Kingdom Hearts: the story so far

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

It seems a lot like Disney and Square-Enix are on different wavelengths as far as developing games goes, what with a Warren Spector project in the works and Final Fantasy XIII well on the way. But there was a time when these two juggernauts of adolescent entertainment teamed up to make sweet, sweet video game love in the form of Kingdom Hearts. ... » Read More

22 Sep 2009

The Disney games you forgot existed

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

Licensed games come and go, so most of us don’t bat an eye when titles based on movies and TV shows fall into obscurity. Today, they’re ephemeral by nature, seemingly designed with an expiration date only as far off as the coinciding property’s DVD release date. ... » Read More

21 Sep 2009

Why Final Fantasy doesn’t matter to Kingdom...

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

We suppose our regular readers, weaned on the violent acts of Marcus Fenix and Solid Snake, deserve an explanation. Why has GamesRadar devoted five whole days to anthropomorphic rodents and smile time gags on the week Halo 3: ODST hits shelves? It’s partially due to poor scheduling (not necessarily on our part!) and a lifetime of love for The House of Mouse. ... » Read More

21 Sep 2009

The Top 7... Kickass Disney games

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

The Week of Disney: You’re soaking in it! Go ahead and pretend these characters mean nothing to you. Once you’re done lying to yourself, pretending you don’t have no connection with the likes of Mickey, Donald and Goofy, let’s marvel at just how astounding it is that almost every person in the world born in the last century shares some familiarity with these characters of unrivaled legacy. ... » Read More

16 Sep 2009

What if Niko Bellic was in Mario Kart?

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

So what would happen if amoral Balkan sociopath Niko Bellic was in everyone's favourite cute and cuddly cartoon racer? Would Mario and chums accept him into the line-up with grace and humility? Would Niko keep the lid on all his murderous rage when Yoshi was firing red shells up his tailpipe? Of course, not. This is what would happen if the worlds of Liberty City and the Mushroom Kingdom clashed...And that got us thinking. What ... » Read More

3 Jul 2009

If video game characters were Pokemon

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

Ever wondered what it would be like to have video game characters in your Pokemon party? Why choose boring old Bulbasaur when you can choose a beautiful Kasumi? Or a level 50 Sackboy? We've given 21 game characters the Pokemon treatment, with four moves to choose from and some evolutionary states too. Who would you choose? ... » Read More

24 Dec 2008

The evolution of Santa Claus

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

If you examine the history of console gaming, from its nascent years on low-end computers to the present, you’ll find one strange constant: Santa Claus. Much more than just another holiday mascot who gets rolled out once a year to irritate us with awful ads and horrible dancing toys, Santa is a beloved-enough icon to have appeared in seemingly dozens of videogames (not to mention books and movies) that persist long after Christmas is over ... » Read More

24 Oct 2008

TalkRadar 24 - too many games!

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

We all know that 24 is the highest number, so therefore this must be biggest, best, super bestest podcast of all time. We’ll let you decide whether or not math is capable of lying so’s we can focus on talking about Far Cry 2, Midnight Club: LA, Tetris Party, Castlevania and the billion other games out this week.Plus a very special appearance by our “E” rated reviewer and compromising tales of us effing up ... » Read More

16 Jun 2008

The Top 7... Worst Parts of Best Games

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

Nothing's perfect. Stare closely enough at anything - even a masterpiece - and you're bound to find flaws sooner or later. They might be small. They might be insignificant. They might not detract from the overall quality of the piece at all... Except when they really, really do. With these seven games, in fact, you don't need to stare. Their flaws are so huge, so obvious, so frustrating and so effing obnoxious that you can't help but ... » Read More

13 May 2007

Square Enix Party 2007 - Live from Tokyo!

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

We're live, in Tokyo, to bring you reports from Square Enix Party 2007, a public event that showcases the latest in the Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Dragon Quest publisher's massive lineup of games for all of your favorite next generation consoles and handhelds. We're bring in up-to-the-minute information as fast as we can over the course of the weekend. Check back to this page for updates as they happen. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions interview: many missed it on the ... » Read More

2 Mar 2007

Ruined endings - part one

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Epic quests need epic endings, and theres not much that's more epic than a giant red thing fighting an oversized golden award trophy. The dragon trophy decimates the Vishnu-armed creature by breathing white stuff on it, and the fate of the world is put in your hands. But the games over, so good luck with ... » Read More

8 Feb 2007

Tips for Kingdom Hearts II - Day one

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

Having trouble with those pesky Nobodies? Need tips for taking down any of the Goth-boys in Organization XIII? Youve come to the right place, son. Step right up (or sit down, whatever) and read up on improving your keyblade skills. Sora would be pleased. Haley Joel Osment, Soras voice-actor could care less. He recently got a DUI. The hardest Heartless Throughout your journey in Kingdom Hearts 2 youll fight hundreds of Heartless. Some dont take much of a beating, but others can be a real ... » Read More

31 Jan 2007

Tips for Kingdom Hearts II - Day two

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

Synth FAQ Q: So what's this Bulky Vendor thing? A: You can find this rare item-spawning monster in the following levels: Land of Dragons (checkpoint), Beast's Castle (west hall), Olympus Coliseum (cave entrance), Agrabah (bazaar) and Halloween Town (candy cane lane). He only appears for 40 seconds, so kill him quick. Q: What ingredients do I need to create Sora's amazing Ultima Weapon? A: Youll need to combine the following - Orichalcum plus, Orichalcum, Mythril crystal, Dense crystal, ... » Read More

22 Dec 2006

CheatPlanet's Top 5 FAQ Submitters

PS2 Feature | Kingdom Hearts II

You turn every knob, pull every switch, press the A button, the B button, the “just get me past this effing level” button, but nothing works. After exhausting what seems to be every possible solution with no success, your burning frustration finally sears a hole through your thick ego. You have no choice, its time to put down the controller and find help. Weve all done it. Its free, easy, and available - no, not your buddys hot sister - the answer to your gaming woes. Detailed ... » Read More