1. Clear, well-organized lists of all the items, weapons and spells in the game, accompanied by short descriptions that provide useful information.
2. Excellent character profiles that enable you to customize your party to the fullest.
3. A pitch-perfect beastiary with, from what I've seen, accurate statistics for every beast in the game, including bosses.
4. A clearly written walkthrough. While some of the hints and descriptions are a little lacking in detail, this is a very large game, and providing step-by-step illustrations could have proved even more confusing or just ruined the fun of playing the game through.
5. Ideal boss fight strategies, providing more information about the boss than about how you should deal with it, allowing the player to adjust their style of play to each new bad guy while not wasting time.
6. The simply cool addition of a map and stickers to keep track of your progress with puppies and Trinity Marks. At first I though this was cheesy, but it's a great way to track your progress.

The last bit is the most important though: this is a guide through the game, not a step-by-step, this is how you beat the game, kids, completely outlined with no room for interpretation rulebook, giving you the freedom to enjoy the game at your own pace and in your own style.

17 of 18 found the following review helpful:


Excellent -- precisely what a strategy guide should be  Oct 29, 2002
This guide is filled with all the things a good strategy guide must have: clear maps, practical strategies, helpful tips and comprehensive item/accessory listings. You get the complete bestiary, complete with weaknesses, locations and pictures. This is particularly helpful if you need particular items from particular enemies for item synthesis (all of which, both enemies and their respective items, are meticulously detailed in this guide in a clear layout). You get walkthroughs of every world, every step of the way -- and if you've played this game, with the expansive worlds it features, you know this is absolutely necessary. It would have taken me at least three times as long to navigate through Atlantica (the Little Mermaid stage) without this guide, but thanks to its clear delivery and direction, I whizzed through it. You get strategies for all bosses and hidden bosses that actually work -- including warnings of special attacks and effects (i.e. - the tips for the Ice Titan keep you from getting frozen to death by his giant freezing attacks). In short, this guide does exactly what a good strategy guide is supposed to do -- it helps in every area of the game from walkthroughs to navigational difficulties, and reveals all hidden possbilities. If you want to master this game, or if you're having the slightest trouble getting through it, this guide will make sure you're an expert in no time.

10 of 11 found the following review helpful:


Great Guide.  Apr 09, 2003 By tvtv3 "tvtv3"
After purchasing and playing KINGDOM HEARTS, I got addicted. However, after advancing rather quickly in the game, I got stuck between Monstro and Atlantica. I scoured the Internet, but it soon became a hassle to visit the net anytime that I reached a point I couldn't get past. So, I broke down and purchased the Official Strategy Guide. I'm really glad that I did. This is an awesome strategy guide! Without it, I would not have beaten Kingdom Hearts. The information contained within has also helped me beat 2 out of the 4 super bosses (I have yet to beat The Phantom and Sephiloth). Advanced gamers may not find this book useful, but just about everyone else who plays Kingdom Hearts will.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:


Perfect...except for one thing...  May 31, 2003
This guide really is great. If you are having trouble with Kingdom Hearts, you'll definitely want this guide. It tells you everything you need to know, from the basics, to the worlds, to the secret bosses. Everything is explained throughly and the maps and screenshots are great followers. Plus, the biographies for each character are cool to read and the pictures of the characters are so pretty to look at! The only problem with this guide is that it's a major spoiler for the game. The game is supposed to be a surprise every time you go to a new world or seal one of them. See, each of the worlds is supposed to be nothing like the last except for the fact that they're all Disney Worlds. When reading the player's guide, I always knew what was going to happen, and that's not very fun! If you like spoilers, read ahead in the guide. If you like surprises, don't read ahead unless you're extremely stuck. 'Cause without the player's guide, it's true: You never know who you'll run into next.

13 of 16 found the following review helpful:


The BEST (and only) guide for Kingdom Hearts  Oct 19, 2002 By S. Rhodes
This guide was awesome and of great help to me! You can't get any better than this right now. The BradyGAMES Signature series continues with Kingdom Hearts. This guide is jampacked with detail after detail, maps upon maps, and boss stategies upon boss strategies of help!

However, there is at least ONE spoiler in the guide (the only spoiler actually) that you may want to wait and it just so happens to be in the last few pages (in other words the final boss), so take your time with this one and use as you go through the game and don't be like me and read the whole walkthrough before you even start!

BUT the guide has so much to offer. Fully detailed map that pin-point the location of items and trinitys. Boss tatics that will actually lead you to victory against some of he toughest bosses in the game with NO plot spoilers whatsoever (and thats a good thing cuz this storyline was absolutely breathtaking)!

Tips on how to customize your characters and list of abilities! Side quest and optional bosses revealed, including Sephiroth! Comeplete coverage and tips on how to build the perfect gummi ship! Stats on each blue print.

Character profiles identify who's with you and who's not, who is the best in battle, and who...[isnt] Complete bestiary with complete stats on all the enemies in the game!

Detailed items and synthesis list and complete list of weapons to let you know what's best for your characters.

A free poster is included to help you find all 99 Dalmations and all the trinitys. This is THE guide for Kingdom Hearts, the complete game is covered and they tried so hard to satisfy us (it worked on me) by actually taking things into account this time. This is the best guide out there.

OVERALL
Positive
+Great in-depth walkthrough
+Free poster
+All side quest covered
+Boss strategies that just blow us away
+Complete Bestiary

Negative
-Get to the point BradyGAMES! Waste too much time
-Maps are handrawn (still detailed)

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