The Kingdom Hearts series is no stranger to releasing enhanced editions of its games, featuring brand-new additional content that greatly expands on the experience. This tradition started with the first two numbered titles, and it happened once again with the popular prequel game, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep.
Birth by SleepFinal Mix launched a year after the original game. It remained exclusive to Japan for a few years, until the eventual release of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX, meaning that the entire world can now experience its practical changes and interesting additions. But how different was the original version of Birth by Sleep when compared to this critically acclaimed Final Mix version? These are some of the few key differences.
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8 Recolored Enemies
The Unversed Have A New Coat Of Paint
The recoloring of the Heartless enemies is a tradition of the Final Mix versions in this franchise, and already happened with the iconic enemies of the first two numbered games. Birth by Sleep introduced a different enemy species, the Unversed. Their color schemes were also altered in the enhanced version.
What’s especially interesting is that, unlike the Heartless, every single type of Unversed had their colors changed in Birth by Sleep Final Mix. From the weak enemies like Floods, to the imposing Unversed bosses like Symphony Master or Trinity Armor, everyone got a new look. Luckily, these recolors were better received by dedicated fans than the Heartless recolors from previous games.
7 A New Difficulty Level
The Return Of Critical Mode
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep originally had three difficulty levels; Beginner, Standard and Proud. And since the three playable characters have completely different play styles, each player could decide how to take on this big adventure. Despite all these options, a lot of veteran fans believe that this game is not that hard, mostly due to the overpowering nature of the Commands.
Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix introduced the hardest yet most rewarding difficulty level: Critical Mode. This mode returned in Birth by Sleep Final Mix. Players who desire a real challenge can choose this mode, in which they receive more damage but also start off with more command slots and even gain experience faster. Not to mention that the Blank Points secret ending is easier to unlock now.
6 Expanded Combat System
New Commands & Command Styles Were Welcome Additions
Birth by Sleep introduced a new combat system for the Kingdom Hearts franchise, which centered around Commands and Command Styles. This mechanic let all three playable characters unleash the most powerful attacks and upgrade their combos with the press of a button.
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It’s a fun and satisfying combat system, so it makes sense that the Final Mix version added new tools to each character's arsenal. Terra, Aqua and Ventus can now obtain and use new commands like Unison Rush, Voltage Stack, Aerial Recovery. They can also change their move set with Rhythm Mixer, which is one of the most fun and powerful Command Styles in the game.
5 Introduced Special Unversed
The Unversed Missions Are A Fun New Distraction
Following in another longtime tradition of the Final Mix versions, a brand-new group of enemies debuted in Birth by Sleep Final Mix. Nine special Unversed can be found in each world. They present the player with a special Unversed Mission that, when completed, will reward them with a special command.
Like the Mushroom XIII before them, these special Unversed offer mini-games that don’t rely on mindless combat, so they can be quite unique and entertaining. But the best part is their rewards. Terra, Aqua, and Ventus can obtain different Illusion commands that let them transform into an Unversed and attack other enemies with their respective move sets.
4 The Old Secret Bosses Drop New Keyblades
Vanitas Remnant & Mysterious Figure Offer Worthwhile Rewards
Most Kingdom Hearts games feature optional bosses who are infamous for being extremely challenging, and Birth by Sleep was no exception. The original release had two: Vanitas Remnant and the Mysterious Figure. However, players who were able to defeat them didn’t receive any real rewards, which most people felt was unfair.
Birth by Sleep Final Mix changed this by adding two new powerful Keyblades that each super boss drops after their defeat. Vanitas Remnant will give players Void Gear, which is a copy of its already good-looking Keyblade. Meanwhile, the Mysterious Figure drops No Name. Interestingly, No Name looks very similar to Young Xehanort’s Keyblade, which would be introduced in Dream Drop Distance a year later, further confirming the true identity of this puzzling secret boss.
3 Three New Secret Bosses
Players Can Now Face Eraqus, Xehanort, & Monstro
If those pre-existing challenging bosses were not already enough, Square Enix added three more in the Final Mix version of the game. Players can encounter these enemies in the Mirage Arena world. The most shocking one is Monstro, the giant whale from Pinocchio who was already an entire world in Kingdom Hearts 1. Getting to fight him one-to-one is an epic endeavor.
The other two battles are more important in terms of story relevancy. Armor of Eraqus and No Heart are armored replicas of Master Eraqus and Master Xehanort respectively. They are incredibly tough to beat, because they can use some impressive and deadly techniques. These battles seem to be reflections of how powerful these two old Keyblade Masters used to be during their prime.
2 The Sticker Album Completely Changed
A Cute Collectible Became A Crucial Part Of The Experience
Similar to the Puzzle Pieces in Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix, the international version of Birth by Sleep added the Sticker Album, which can be completed with the cute Disney stickers that are found throughout the different worlds. However, the Final Mix version completely changed how these collectibles work, giving them a much more important use.
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The aforementioned Rhythm Mixer Command Style can only be obtained by completing the Sticker Album, alongside many other new rewards for this mode that were introduced in Birth by Sleep Final Mix. It also plays a key role in unlocking the brand-new Secret Episode of the game. Players who want to experience this new episode must complete the three Sticker Albums of the three playable characters (unless they’re playing in Critical Mode).
1 A Playable Secret Episode
Play As Aqua In The Realm Of Darkness
The ending of Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is quite tragic. Terra’s body is possessed by Xehanort, Ventus’ heart shatters into pieces, and Aqua gets trapped inside the Realm of Darkness. As a result, most fans were left wondering what happened to these beloved characters between the events of this prequel and Kingdom Hearts 1. The Final Mix version would further expand on these heroes’ fates by including an incredible new Secret Episode titled "A Fragmentary Passage."
In it, players can play as Aqua once again and navigate the haunting Realm of Darkness. There, she fights countless hordes of Heartless enemies (and even a brand-new Heartless boss) while wielding Master Eraqus’ Keyblade. This was an extremely important piece of the story that not only kept further developing Aqua’s character, but would also serve as the main inspiration for Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
- Released
- January 9, 2010
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG , Fighting , Action-Adventure
