So I've just bought the Japanese version of KHII and plan on making a thorough playthrough of all 3 versions and discover as many differences between the versions as possible.
And I'm not just talking about the obvious Final Mix changes like:
CoM Org member fights;
Roxas fight;
Lingering Sentiment/Will/Thought/Remnant;
etc...
I'm more interested in the little differences like in this video.
Of course, this video is a very exaggerated example, but still...
If anyone knows of any differences, I would be very appreciative of info.
I'll try to document my research as much as possible, be it through Youtube or something else, I will do what I can.
I refer to each version with an abreviation:
JP = Japanese PS2 version.
NA = North American PS2 version.
PAL = European and Australian PS2 version.
FM = Final Mix version.
JP 2.5 = Japanese PS3 version.
ENG 2.5 = English PS3 version.
2.5 = Both Japanese and English PS3 version.
What I've learned:
Misc
*O is Attack/Confirm in JP, FM & JP 2.5. X is Jump/Cancel.
X is Attack/Confirm in NA, PAL & ENG 2.5. O is Jump/Cancel.
*Some bosses don't attack Sora unless provoked in JP.
*Some unwinnable battles, that is supposed to show Sora and co, being overwhelmed, have special mechanics in JP. For instance, between 6 and 8 successive hits will imediately end the battle in JP, while in INT/FM you need 100 successive hits.
*Photos in Jiminy's Journal have Sora writing small notes on them in JP & FM.
*In NA Ansem's apprentices' names are misspelled. In PAL they are spelled correctly.
*In FM (most?) characters have updated models, to show more details. Since the game has been upscaled to HD, in 2.5 the models have been updated again.
*Both JP and ENG versions of 2.5 experience considerable load times.
*ENG 2.5 has consistent freezes on certain fights, as well as crashes that deal with using Limit Form.
* Some Keyblades have different stats and/or abilities in FM.
* Two new Keyblades have beed added in FM: Two Become One, by defeating Roxas, and Winner's Proof, by completing the Mushroom XIII sidequest.
* Some sound effects do not play properly in 2.5.
World Specific
Twilight Town
*In FM and 2.5 you can fight the Lexaeus Absent Silhouette in the Sandlot.
*Flames surround Axel as he "dies" in JP, FM and JP 2.5. In NA, PAL and ENG 2.5 all flames have been removed.
Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden
*After Sephiroths introduction, in FM there is a bubble scene revealing the 'Cavern of Rememberance'
*'Cavern of Remembrance' bonus dungeon.
*In FM just before the Demyx battle, there are two new cutscenes.
*In JP, NA & PAL When fighting Demyx, you have to beat 10 water clones in 10 seconds. In FM & 2.5 you have 15 seconds.
Beast's Castle
*In FM and 2.5 you can fight the Marluxia Absent Silhouette in Beast's room.
Olympus Coliseum
*In FM and 2.5 You can fight the Zexion Absent Silhouette.
*When cutting of a head of the Hydra it bleeds green in JP. In NA, Pal, FM and 2.5 black smoke appears.
Disney Castle/Timeless River
*Daisy hits Donald after the events of Timeless River in JP. In NA, Pal, FM and 2.5 she just yells at him.
Port Royal
*Pirates have shotguns in JP, FM and JP 2.5, they are Crossbows in NA, Pal and ENG 2.5.
*When Will Turner says "You can't...(die) But I can." He points a gun to his head in JP, FM and JP 2.5. In NA, Pal and ENG 2.5 he lowers the gun down.
*In FM and 2.5 you can fight the Larxene Absent Silhouette, when reaching Isla de Muerta after saving the Interceptor.
*Jack is stabbed by Barbossa's sword in JP, FM and JP 2.5. In NA ,PAL and ENG 2.5 the sword is missing.
*Pirates run around flailing their arms when set on fire in JP, FM and JP 2.5. In NA, Pal and ENG 2.5, they cannot be set on fire, instead they are surrounded by smoke, they do still run around.
*In NA, Pal and ENG 2.5, the cannons at Port Royal have been stationed there by Commodore Norrington. In JP, FM and JP 2.5 they've been stationed there by Governor Swan.
Agrabah
*In FM and 2.5 you can fight the Vexen Absent Silhouette, in the Peddlers shop.
*In JP, NA and PAL, after unlocking the three locks to the tower in 'Sandswept Ruins' you have 30 secs to reach the tower. In FM and 2.5, you have 45 secs.
Halloween Town
*In FM and 2.5 Sora gets a santa outfit when entering Christmas town. Donald gets a snowman outfit, and Goofy gets a reindeer outfit.
*In JP, NA & PAL Christmas Town uses the songs 'This is halloween' and 'Spooks of Halloween Town'. In FM & 2.5 the songs 'What a Surprise' and 'Happy Holidays' are played when in Christmas Town.
The World That Never Was
*A new boss fight with Roxas has been added in FM. The fight is also present in 2.5.
*When Xigbar starts the battle he combines his Arrowguns Sharpshooters in to a Sniper Rifle, and his sniper scope looks like an authentic scope in JP, FM and JP 2.5.
-In NA and PAL he doesn't combine his guns, he just rests one gun over the other, and the scope is just three purple lights pointing in the general direction his shots will go.
-In ENG 2.5 he combines the two arrowguns into a Sniper Rifle like in the Japanese versions, and the scope is three purple lights like the international versions.
*At 'Proof of Existence' when reading the tombstones in JP & FM, you get both the members title and their number. In NA, PAL and ENG 2.5 you only get their title.
*It is possible to hit Sa�x during his Desperation Move in JP. In NA, PAL, FM and 2.5 he is completely invulnerable during the move.
*Second Armoured Xemnas knocks Sora and Riku away thrice in JP, NA and PAL. In FM and 2.5 he only knocks them away twice.
*The Final Xemnas fight, both regular and Data, has a consistent glitch that tends to prevent Reaction Commands from triggering in 2.5.
COVERS
JP Cover
NA Cover
PAL Cover
FM Cover
Manuals
Scans of the the games' manuals (WARNING: Many large images)
Level up ability guides
*Sources
GameFAQs: Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) Ability Guide by TitaniErtan
Kingdom Hearts II/Abilities �€†StrategyWiki, the video game walkthrough and strategy guide wiki
Level up and Bonus Chart! | KH-Vids | Your ultimate source for Kingdom Hearts media
Videos
Main menu differences. - YouTube
Station Heights Nobodies - YouTube
Boarding the train to Hydra battle - YouTube
Disney Castle to Twilight Town - YouTube
The Battle for Hollow Bastion - YouTube
The Final Stretch? - Youtube
Videos from others, since I haven't been able to record any 2.5 footage yet.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 - What Needs to be Fixed? by Bizkit047
KH2 and KH2.5 Graphics Comparison (REMADE) by QwertycooleyGames
Update 14-03-17: With the release of 1.5+2.5 on PS4, KH2 is now in 60 fps. I have in other threads mentioned how I get motion sickness from watching 60 fps, so I am not able to give information from first hand experience.
Speedrunner Bizkit047 has a list of changes from all four games in the package, which he sometimes updates:
PS4 1.5 + 2.5 - Changes/etc - Pastebin.com
Current status - Sporadic updates when finding new info.
And I'm not just talking about the obvious Final Mix changes like:
CoM Org member fights;
Roxas fight;
Lingering Sentiment/Will/Thought/Remnant;
etc...
I'm more interested in the little differences like in this video.
Of course, this video is a very exaggerated example, but still...
If anyone knows of any differences, I would be very appreciative of info.
I'll try to document my research as much as possible, be it through Youtube or something else, I will do what I can.
I refer to each version with an abreviation:
JP = Japanese PS2 version.
NA = North American PS2 version.
PAL = European and Australian PS2 version.
FM = Final Mix version.
JP 2.5 = Japanese PS3 version.
ENG 2.5 = English PS3 version.
2.5 = Both Japanese and English PS3 version.
What I've learned:
Misc
*O is Attack/Confirm in JP, FM & JP 2.5. X is Jump/Cancel.
X is Attack/Confirm in NA, PAL & ENG 2.5. O is Jump/Cancel.
*Some bosses don't attack Sora unless provoked in JP.
*Some unwinnable battles, that is supposed to show Sora and co, being overwhelmed, have special mechanics in JP. For instance, between 6 and 8 successive hits will imediately end the battle in JP, while in INT/FM you need 100 successive hits.
*Photos in Jiminy's Journal have Sora writing small notes on them in JP & FM.
*In NA Ansem's apprentices' names are misspelled. In PAL they are spelled correctly.
*In FM (most?) characters have updated models, to show more details. Since the game has been upscaled to HD, in 2.5 the models have been updated again.
*Both JP and ENG versions of 2.5 experience considerable load times.
*ENG 2.5 has consistent freezes on certain fights, as well as crashes that deal with using Limit Form.
* Some Keyblades have different stats and/or abilities in FM.
* Two new Keyblades have beed added in FM: Two Become One, by defeating Roxas, and Winner's Proof, by completing the Mushroom XIII sidequest.
* Some sound effects do not play properly in 2.5.
Spoiler Show
World Specific
Twilight Town
*In FM and 2.5 you can fight the Lexaeus Absent Silhouette in the Sandlot.
*Flames surround Axel as he "dies" in JP, FM and JP 2.5. In NA, PAL and ENG 2.5 all flames have been removed.
Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden
*After Sephiroths introduction, in FM there is a bubble scene revealing the 'Cavern of Rememberance'
*'Cavern of Remembrance' bonus dungeon.
*In FM just before the Demyx battle, there are two new cutscenes.
*In JP, NA & PAL When fighting Demyx, you have to beat 10 water clones in 10 seconds. In FM & 2.5 you have 15 seconds.
Beast's Castle
*In FM and 2.5 you can fight the Marluxia Absent Silhouette in Beast's room.
Olympus Coliseum
*In FM and 2.5 You can fight the Zexion Absent Silhouette.
*When cutting of a head of the Hydra it bleeds green in JP. In NA, Pal, FM and 2.5 black smoke appears.
Disney Castle/Timeless River
*Daisy hits Donald after the events of Timeless River in JP. In NA, Pal, FM and 2.5 she just yells at him.
Port Royal
*Pirates have shotguns in JP, FM and JP 2.5, they are Crossbows in NA, Pal and ENG 2.5.
*When Will Turner says "You can't...(die) But I can." He points a gun to his head in JP, FM and JP 2.5. In NA, Pal and ENG 2.5 he lowers the gun down.
*In FM and 2.5 you can fight the Larxene Absent Silhouette, when reaching Isla de Muerta after saving the Interceptor.
*Jack is stabbed by Barbossa's sword in JP, FM and JP 2.5. In NA ,PAL and ENG 2.5 the sword is missing.
*Pirates run around flailing their arms when set on fire in JP, FM and JP 2.5. In NA, Pal and ENG 2.5, they cannot be set on fire, instead they are surrounded by smoke, they do still run around.
*In NA, Pal and ENG 2.5, the cannons at Port Royal have been stationed there by Commodore Norrington. In JP, FM and JP 2.5 they've been stationed there by Governor Swan.
Agrabah
*In FM and 2.5 you can fight the Vexen Absent Silhouette, in the Peddlers shop.
*In JP, NA and PAL, after unlocking the three locks to the tower in 'Sandswept Ruins' you have 30 secs to reach the tower. In FM and 2.5, you have 45 secs.
Halloween Town
*In FM and 2.5 Sora gets a santa outfit when entering Christmas town. Donald gets a snowman outfit, and Goofy gets a reindeer outfit.
*In JP, NA & PAL Christmas Town uses the songs 'This is halloween' and 'Spooks of Halloween Town'. In FM & 2.5 the songs 'What a Surprise' and 'Happy Holidays' are played when in Christmas Town.
The World That Never Was
*A new boss fight with Roxas has been added in FM. The fight is also present in 2.5.
*When Xigbar starts the battle he combines his Arrowguns Sharpshooters in to a Sniper Rifle, and his sniper scope looks like an authentic scope in JP, FM and JP 2.5.
-In NA and PAL he doesn't combine his guns, he just rests one gun over the other, and the scope is just three purple lights pointing in the general direction his shots will go.
-In ENG 2.5 he combines the two arrowguns into a Sniper Rifle like in the Japanese versions, and the scope is three purple lights like the international versions.
*At 'Proof of Existence' when reading the tombstones in JP & FM, you get both the members title and their number. In NA, PAL and ENG 2.5 you only get their title.
*It is possible to hit Sa�x during his Desperation Move in JP. In NA, PAL, FM and 2.5 he is completely invulnerable during the move.
*Second Armoured Xemnas knocks Sora and Riku away thrice in JP, NA and PAL. In FM and 2.5 he only knocks them away twice.
*The Final Xemnas fight, both regular and Data, has a consistent glitch that tends to prevent Reaction Commands from triggering in 2.5.
COVERS
JP Cover
NA Cover
PAL Cover
FM Cover
Manuals
Scans of the the games' manuals (WARNING: Many large images)
Level up ability guides
*Sources
GameFAQs: Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) Ability Guide by TitaniErtan
Kingdom Hearts II/Abilities �€†StrategyWiki, the video game walkthrough and strategy guide wiki
Level up and Bonus Chart! | KH-Vids | Your ultimate source for Kingdom Hearts media
Videos
Main menu differences. - YouTube
Station Heights Nobodies - YouTube
Boarding the train to Hydra battle - YouTube
Disney Castle to Twilight Town - YouTube
The Battle for Hollow Bastion - YouTube
The Final Stretch? - Youtube
Videos from others, since I haven't been able to record any 2.5 footage yet.
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 - What Needs to be Fixed? by Bizkit047
KH2 and KH2.5 Graphics Comparison (REMADE) by QwertycooleyGames
Update 14-03-17: With the release of 1.5+2.5 on PS4, KH2 is now in 60 fps. I have in other threads mentioned how I get motion sickness from watching 60 fps, so I am not able to give information from first hand experience.
Speedrunner Bizkit047 has a list of changes from all four games in the package, which he sometimes updates:
PS4 1.5 + 2.5 - Changes/etc - Pastebin.com
Current status - Sporadic updates when finding new info.
Last edited:
