#DS: Axel

[jtg073]

kh sketchbook doodle cuz the brainrot is taking over

kinda messed up the filters cuz there was a weird shadow when taking the image,,,,,

edit: just realised, also kinda messed up axels hair 😞

[puffballcat]

This drives me insane because it looks like a game put through google translate thing, but no it’s the actual in-game translation

[moltengarnet]

As far as the DS Kingdom Hearts games go, I think this was my favorite of the 2. I wish I had someone to play mission mode with back in the day because there were so many playable characters from throughout the KH series to play as.

Re:Coded was fine, but didn’t have as good of a story. The move set & spell customization was a lot of fun though. Dream Drop Distance was better than both but that’s not a fair comparison at all.

[monorays]

UNCLE XIGBAR!

[meiloorun-notthefruit]

Do any of you ever think about how it was Axel who told Roxas and Xion that things change, that nothing lasts forever, but as long they hold on to memories of each other, keep the other in their thoughts, than that would be enough.

“None of us will ever have to be apart”.

Except then things did change. And Axel was left the last one standing at the end of it all. And he grapples so desperately to remember all of it but even memories weren’t enough because he forgot Xion through no fault of his own and he KNOWS something is missing, that he’s lost more than Roxas on Day 355, but she was literally erased from existence. The horror of knowing you’ve forgotten someone but no matter what you do you can’t even coherently form a sliver of thought about who it could have been. This on top of the guilt of lying to Roxas like there’s a reason Axel sacrificed himself in Kingdom Hearts 2 with the knowledge of this being the end.

He didn’t think he was going to come back. And then he did but as Lea, with a heart, and he’s hit with the ONSLAUGHT of emotions he hasn’t really had to deal with for ten plus years.

Ask me again why the Sea Salt Trio is my favorite. Their reunion in Kingdom Hearts 3 is gut wrenching and beautiful GODDAMIT they’ve been through so much but I only just thought about it from Lea’s point of view and I’ve given myself more emotional damage than this group already does on the regular.

[gamechestgames]

Just Finished: Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

Dearly Beloved...

Just fell in love with this amazing story of friendship and care, with this trio on the picture showing us whats hearts are suppose to be made of (ironic isn't). Another spin-off that had mostly passed under many people's radar that tell s a bit more about what happened between Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2.

Apart from that, it's also a great game with a smart implementation of the items/habilites grid scheme, that leads us to spend lots of time managing our resources. It was fun to be honest.

Play this specially if you haven't and you're a true fan of the series.

[reinventingaxel]

Every day I am devastated I will never be able to play 358/2

Guys axel is a playable character,,, my blorbo

[firestorm09890]

actually sort of unbelievable how much Zexion haunts the narrative compared to the other Organization members in Castle Oblivion. Vexen also does, but like, he actually deserves to. It's his replica project that's a central plot device in both CoM and Days, him not being there to keep it on track causes many problems. but Zexion? it's. a lot, especially considering back in 2004 people on game forums were calling him the most useless organization member (no respect for strategists smh, it's aaaalways about powerscaling and combat ability to these people)

we start with Replica Riku going to fight Riku after realizing that even if he has "newfound power" (Zexion's) it's still not actually his. in the Days novel Axel brings up Repliku devouring Zexion like two other times when thinking about Xion's state of being. I'm not even counting this. novels don't count and it's not like Repliku uses any illusions or anything, it's just his raw power.

In regular canon Days, Axel makes explicit mention of him when talking to Saïx.

He also mentions Marluxia, but it's in the middle of their conversation, when talking about how Marluxia was a traitor after all. This, on the other hand, is like an important thing Axel almost forgot to mention.

He later brings up getting rid of Vexen and Zexion, but the first time is just Zexion. These two are true for both DS Days and HD Cutscene Days.

And then! Zexion gets a voiced cutscene in the middle of Days! The game that does not do voiced cutscenes except for when they want to do something really big!

my beautiful wife nintendo ds dual screen

And they couldn't just reuse things from Re:CoM either because the memory Riku's having was of a moment that used dialogue bubbles, they put in work for this.

I think?? The scene is supposed to showcase Xion absorbing thoughts from other people? It's really weird since it's the only time it happens to someone who isn't Roxas but you know what this means? Riku was thinking about it. 8 months later, Zexion's accusations are still burned into his mind. This is REAL NARRATIVE HAUNTING, BABEY and it KEEPS GOING

Before Zexion put the idea in his head, Riku didn't even consider that Sora might not accept him with the darkness in his heart. He had his big moment in CoM where he accepted himself, but it still scared him badly enough that he did... basically everything he did in kh2 instead of trying to find Sora and talk to him. Zexion's actions "lived" this long. I think it's 3/4 that Sora's memories of CO were erased and 1/4 that Marluxia simply did not have the presence in the Organization to leave a gaping void after his death but man, the final boss left barely a whisper in comparison to this.

And then finally there's this of course

done to keep his weapon a mystery but how weird do you think it must've felt for the characters to see it? did they wonder what happened? I sure wonder what happened

also I lied this somehow isn't the end. for whatever reason in Melody of Memory Zexion gets more spotlight than almost every other member of the original organization except xemnas and the sea salt trio

in conclusion i hate it here. I would also say Vexen deserves more respect for leaving the most obvious void in the group after his death except that someone wrote a full 358/2 Days au longfic about it so I really don't need to

[catboygirljoker]

[video transcript: a scene from the 358/2 Days movie. Roxas: Hey, what happens when Heartless are destroyed? Xigbar: The hearts remain. And then those hearts gather together to form the great Kingdom Hearts. Roxas: Then, can you tell me what remains if a Nobody is destroyed? Xigbar: What's there to leave behind? We're not even supposed to "be" in the first place. Roxas: And the members at Castle Oblivion, where'd they go? Xigbar: Nothing's left of them. Roxas: In which case, I'll never see them again? Xigbar: That's right. You coming? Roxas: Huh? Oh, yeah. end transcript.]

this scene is so funny to me because if you watch it by itself you assume xigbar is being a total asshole for no reason. just random unmotivated callousness and cruelty. but the DS version of this scene comes at the end of a whole mission, and with that context, you can see that xigbar actually has a reason for...being an asshole.

(transcripts below are fetched from this text of ancient times, a GameFAQ so old that it mistakenly describes xigbar as seeing roxas when he sees xion with ventus's face.)

Xigbar: What's wrong? Dazzled by the new scenery? Roxas: Do you think it's true—about the members stationed at Castle Oblivion? Xigbar: Ha ha, is that seriously what's eating you? Roxas: We might have lost a comrade. Maybe multiple comrades. That doesn't bother you at all? Xigbar: As if. Look, the faster we get this mission done, the sooner you can RTC and get your answers.

Xigbar: Still with me there? I've seen you spaced out before, but this is ridiculous. Roxas: What? I'm fine. I'm fine... Xigbar: Let me guess. Castle Oblivion? Like I said: the longer we take here, the longer you're gonna have to stay in the dark.

Roxas: Good, then we can go home? Xigbar: Why, Roxas? Did you leave the toaster plugged in? Roxas: You know why. Xigbar: Heh heh. C'mon, let's RTC.

then the scene from the above clip plays. like, xigbar is absolutely being a jerk, privately making fun of roxas for thinking his best friend is dead (when it seems pretty clear to me from the above transcripts that xigbar at the very least knows axel is fine, and i think probably knows that a nobody getting defeated just turns them back into a human).

but he tries, repeatedly! to get roxas to not jump to conclusions. this is an issue he tries to help him out with on another occasion as well, in a later mission in halloweentown, and takes a similar "tough love" kind of approach where he doesn't correct roxas (though worth mentioning that he also goes out of his way to save roxas's hide in that situation).

in the end he tells roxas that axel's totally dead, gone forever, nothing left. still pretty callous and mean. but with the context of the mission, it's less "xigbar can obviously tell roxas is upset and doesnt give a shit" and more "xigbar has put up with roxas's moping for this whole mission and TRIED to hint that maybe he's jumping the gun, but at this point the kid can think whatever he wants, no skin off xigbar's back"

Bonus Xigbar Fact: tte hanashi spotted! if you watch xigbar's mouth at the end of the line "And then those hearts gather together to form the great Kingdom Hearts," you may be able to see him saying the phrase "tte hanashi"!

[thepuff09]

For the record, my favorite is Axel’s gun disk.

[dreamsy990]

LITERALLY i will yell about this forever. god just give us re:days or whatever the fuck theyd call it. its not too late i swear

roxas' journal in days is so fucking good read it if you havent. also read it if you only watched the cutscene movie because on page in it has more emotion than that entire thing

[robinchan-hananomi]

Sorry for the KH spam.

When I was younger, I used to watch the neighbors play Kingdom Hearts. He loved that game and I didn’t own a game system. So when we hung out together he asked if I was alright if I watched him play KH and later KH2 and I was always like ‘sure. It’s interesting’.

When I got a DS of my own that first game I z wanted to get was a KH game. The only one that GameStop had that day was the newly released 358/2 Days. So I bought it. I was already fond of both Axel and Roxas, but I fell in love with the seasalt trio.

I’ve had that game ever since, and over the years it has been a comfort game for me, much like Harvest Moon. But not to long ago I decided it was time to get another game system so I just bought a PS4. And wouldn’t you know it the game store I got it from happened to have the box set of all the Kingdom Hearts games. So I’ve actually been playing all the other games for the first time. I have beaten KH, KH2, Coded, Birth by Sleep, DDD, and I just got started on KH3 (I tried Chain of Memories but I couldn’t grasp the cards, so I just watched all the cut scenes).

So yeah, not only am I currently fixated on KH, but especially the seasalt trio, who have been a comfort game for me for over the last decade. Sorry, not sorry, for Axel/Lea, Roxas, Xion, and even Naminé and Isa/Saix spam that will be coming across my dash.

[hyouta]

KH ramblings part 3 of me saying a whole lot of nothing!! (Person who didn't know Re:Coded was this short)

Actually started this draft immediately after finishing the last post. Things I forgot to say...

It's not that I dislike Disney Town but I feel like the loop was so much shorter than it is in Melody of Memory so the Mickey March + It's a small world had me going crazy...

My dad heard it looping and came in to see because he got nostalgic for the song

Also fuck the platforming in the sewers, I think I accidentally unlocked it before I had good movement but I will burn it to the ground

KH racer game when

Didn't go to the Mirage Arena until just before going to the Keyblade Graveyard as Aqua, and then going to get a Xehanort Report for Terra

Also I rarely used D-Links, oops... it's actually sad how little I utilised them...

Getting trapped in combos was so so painful in BBS and I still don't know what I could've done otherwise because it was never this bad in any other game --- except Re:Com... I remember being so mad fighting Axel the second time even with my cheese boss deck, then I get his boss card that lets you attack even while staggering... which was a slap on the face lmao I was so salty...

Even though I want the full KH experience I've not attempted to unlock the secret movie for any game that has it... maybe I'll try unlocking a few after all games are done.

Speaking of... not sure what I want to do with the mobile games... I have played Union X before and I have access to the app on my phone but I'm not sure about playing all that again.

♥

Anyway onto Re:coded, damn people are way too mean about this game. People say out of the 2 DS games that this one is skippable and I'm not so sure about that... ok the story impact isn't HUGE but it does tie-in quite nicely. It's also like 16 hours without doing any extra stuff, that's one of the shortest experiences, not gonna kill anyone to try it out.

I heard KH3 acknowledges it, so... good. Game so fun I played for 11.5 hours straight.

Honestly the gameplay is so fun and it's a lot more straightfoward than BBS was (though I'm not sure if I utilised everything to the utmost, I got through in the end). Even as it goes through KH1 story beats the different level designs and new ways to fight the bosses makes it feel fresh (except who the hell decided to put an eliminator in the wonderland system sector... what is their deal?? are they satan???).

I watched the movie as I was going through Castle Oblivion (disappointed that they didn't use 13th floor, love that track) and didn't quite finish the game by the time I was done watching but I liked the small things they added to the movie. Some cutscenes were a lot more impactful but I miss some of the dialogue that was cut, even if small stuff.

Quick notes I made:

First impressions is the sprites are giving movie tie-in game. Low-key miss the expression less low-poly ds models lol

Sora babysitting the triplets is cute

First time playing one of the side-scrolling segments and he says "I feel flat".

Olympic Coliseum was so fun. Not gonna lie this world almost became my Agrabah, for it being in every single game so far, but this saved it.

This note just says "fire dashed off the map" because I glitched out of bounds. Thankfully the game did not punish me.

"You always try to take everything on by yourself. But I LIKE getting dragged into your messes" (crying emoji)

One of my new fav bits of dialogue: "Heh, I sometimes envy how simple your world is." "Is... that a compliment?" "I envy whatever makes you think it could be."

I have never had an issue with Hollow Bastion Riku, data or otherwise... but the last one was rage inducing, I just could not for the life of me remember how to counter his charge attack.

Last note is just expressing my disappointment that Sora doesn't hold the cards up to the door in the DS version like he does in Re:Com.

Actually last, last thing... it's funny in the secret ending how they cut of saying Saïx's name, as if it could've been anyone else?? I checked, it's the same in the japanese version... though it doesn't matter too much I suppose, I'm not even sure how long the wait was between this cutscene and DDD.

♥

I have a day off tomorrow to begin my DDD replay!! Then a 3-day weekend to play some more... I already have a note on it that says "Something something Axel not calling Saïx 'Isa' until he himself becomes Lea again something" thanks, me.

♥

Cause it's Christmas... I'll post tiny snippets of SOME things I've been doodling (cause also the likelihood of me posting anything is 10% at best, some of these are already months old lmao)

I want you all to know that I drew Vexen to complete the trio. Because I'm not a coward. However even though these are still the sketch phase too, for his one it's even less finished so I will not be posting lmao...

[cyanremalia]

1, 2, and 13 for general KH asks! :)

allllrighty then!! 1. How did you get into the series? something of a mix between "my dad was into one or two games" and "on a whim"? i've had a cursory interest in the series for years, but only this year (a couple days before it started, technically) have i actually gotten significantly invested to the point of being a fan i had several chances to get into the series before i finally grabbed 1.5+2.5 when it was on sale on the epic games store - thwarted by trickmaster in ps3 1.5, fell off of gba com once or twice, and there was one time where i used re:coded to see if my phone could handle ds games (answer: could've been worse) 2. What's your favorite KH game? DAYS. days days days. not just for the story either! while i think it could use some tuning up i'm genuinely a fan of the gameplay they fit into this funky little ds game, and the significantly larger playable cast through mission mode allows for interesting gameplay styles while leaving the core characters playing as core kh protags do second favorite is probably either bbs or re:coded 'cause i'm a sucker for the way the command deck allows for so many unique abilities when fusion is in the mix 13. If you read fics, favorite fic? OOF that is difficult. among the ones i think about the most is probably the roxiri fic Rejection of Fate by Taliax, which sticks out a lot to me despite being a one-shot, presenting an interesting idea in keyblade deterioration and i find integrating gameplay into story pretty fun (and roxiri stuff in general is, um. uncommon, unfortunately, so i am very happy to see them together) there's some others i'm thinking of but i didn't get their names memorized lol - i know there was one series that started as an axel-centric au of kh3 that i really liked..? and i'm not going to include the couple of madoka magica crossovers i really liked bc they're not very focused on the kh aspects

[dollivication]

OMG I LOVELOVELOVELOVE LOVEEE YOUR NEW ACCOUNT SET UP!!!

I used to play Nintendogs on the DS so MUCH when I was little with my sister!!!

I had a boxer puppy named Axel :>

🦈

🦈NONNNN HELLO HAI!!!! THANK YOU SOSOSO MUCH :3!!!!

NINTENDOGS WAS MY SHITITITTTT I CANNOT LAI!!! THE BOXER PUPPIES WERE SO CUTE!!!!! its been so long that ive forgotten my puppies.. but i thinkkk i had a labrador named rocky.. I MISS HIM TERRIBLY!!! (◞‸◟)

[asherthephoenix]

Axel is 100% on that Professor Kukui training program of tanking her pokemons attacks.

Had to look up who that was, I’ve only played the gen 8 and 9 games (never owned a DS.)

From the looks of it, yeah, that makes sense. I actually have a related hc I wanna share in that Axel attended classes at Shawn & Jasmine’s flower shop and fighting school when she was a kid, and as she gets older she becomes an instructor there.