November 10^th, 2004 (11:04pm) - Square Enix, Inc., and Disney Interactive announced today that Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories will ship to retailers nationwide on December 7th, in time for the holiday season. An action role-playing game exclusively for the Game Boy Advance, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories continues the collaboration between Square Enix and Disney Interactive. The marriage of characters and worlds both familiar and new adds another dimension to the Kingdom Hearts series, bringing it to life with breakthrough content crafted in the renowned Square Enix style.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories will be released only for the Game Boy Advance. The game carries a suggested retail price of U.S. $34.99 and is rated "E" (Everyone).

"We are excited about bringing Kingdom Hearts to a broader audience by releasing this game on the GBA and hope that our fans from the first Kingdom Hearts will continue their journey,” said Ichiro Otobe, President and Chief Operating Officer of Square Enix, Inc. "We hope to successfully expand our customer base by reaching out to players on a different platform.”

"The Kingdom Hearts franchise represents the best of the shared values of both companies in creating captivating characters, creative storytelling, and quality game play. With the success of the original game surpassing more than 4 million units worldwide, the franchise has touched consumers around the globe and resonates with Disney fans and core gamers alike,” said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games, Inc., "This interest was illustrated by the delighted response of thousands of Kingdom Hearts fans and Walt Disney World guests at the recent appearance of Kingdom Hearts’ Sora, Goofy, and Donald Duck at the Magic Kingdom park.”

Bridging the gap between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories begins where the original left off. As Sora, Donald, and Goofy continue their journey in search of Riku and the king of Disney Castle, they are guided to the mysterious Castle Oblivion by a robed man who leaves Sora with a riddle: "Ahead lies something you need-but to claim it, you must lose something dear.”

With features never before seen on the Game Boy Advance, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories promises to deliver an unsurpassed gaming experience. Highlights include high-quality movie event sequences and a new card-based battle system. This intuitive system allows players to choose from various cards, each with an attack, ability, or other effect assigned to it. By ”stocking” multiple cards, players can amplify their power and unleash powerful combos, cast formidable magic, and create unique battle strategies. Some cards allow Sora to summon familiar characters from the original Kingdom Hearts to his side during battle. Cards are also the key to opening doors and traveling between worlds, as well as unlocking the intricate mysteries of Castle Oblivion.