TGS 2003: Kingdom Hearts sequels announced

Buena Vista Games and Square Enix have today announced that they're collaborating on two sequels to the PS2 role-playing game Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts II will be released on the PlayStation 2, while Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is being developed for the Game Boy Advance.

"We are extremely proud of the success of Kingdom Hearts and could not wait for this day to announce the two new titles," said Tetsuya Nomura, director and main character designer of the Kingdom Hearts series. "Our development team is very enthusiastic about creating a new chapter in Kingdom Hearts' history and determined to deliver an even more unique and exciting gaming experience that will appeal to the global marketplace."

Kingdom Hearts II on the PS2 will pick up where the original game left off and will see the return of popular characters such as Sora, Kairi, and Riku. No release date for the game has been announced at this time.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories on the Game Boy Advance will feature Sora, Donald, and Goofy, as well as numerous other Disney characters and worlds. Further details on the game are scarce at present, but Buena Vista Games and Square Enix have stated that the game will be released in Japan, North America, and Europe next year.

Both of the Kingdom Hearts games announced today will be developed under the direction of director and main character designer Tetsuya Nomura and will be produced by Shinji Hashimoto and coproducer Yoshinori Kitase. We'll bring you more information on both of the games as soon as it becomes available.

See more of GameSpot's coverage of the 2003 Tokyo Game Show.