Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+ is a 2007 combo pack of Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, the "Final Mix" version of Kingdom Hearts II, and Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, a remake of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix features new cutscenes, abilities, weapons, enemies, areas, and a new form, whilst Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories features new cards, cutscenes and mini-games. Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories were the final games Tetsuya Nomura made for the PlayStation 2.

Announcement
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix was rumored in middle-late 2006. Though Nomura did not confirm its development, he stated that if a Final Mix version were to be created for other countries, he would use a "trump card".

In September 2006, Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix was finally announced, along with a PlayStation 2 remake of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, entitled Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, with full 3-D rendering and voice acting. The two would be packed together, creating Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix+; Re:Chain of Memories was later released in America as a standalone title.

The remake was released on March 29, 2007, hitting stores all across Japan. Currently no official plans have been announced for release in the United States or other countries, despite the topic being popular across Kingdom Hearts-related forums. There were rumors of a fall 2008 release in EGM magazine and 1up.com, although this did not pan out. The director of the Kingdom Hearts series, Tetsuya Nomura, has quoted, "The Final Mix games are only Japanese exclusives. In due time I may release a Final Mix into other countries, but Kingdom Hearts Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix are not my choice."

Final Mix
Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix expands on the original Kingdom Hearts II with new features and plot elements.

Initial previews and announcements
Scans of magazine articles and preview videos appeared on numerous websites in the weeks leading up to the game's release. They included additional scenes involving the three mysterious armored knights at the end of the Kingdom Hearts II secret ending. Later screenshots showed one of these three knights in combat with Sora, Donald, and Goofy. The being serves as a secret boss with incredible power and an enormous amount of HP, much like the Enigmatic Man from Kingdom Hearts Final Mix. The preview videos also showed that battling Roxas would be possible as opposed to the cutscene in the original game. Square also revealed that data replicas of each member of Organization XIII could be challenged in a secret area at Hollow Bastion and fought independently of the storyline.

Voice-acting on Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix was announced to be mostly in English, with Japanese subtitles, like Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, but the new scenes used Japanese voice-acting when viewed in Theater Mode and were voiceless in-game with Japanese subtitles. This is most likely due to the new scenes featuring Organization XIII members from Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, who did not yet have English voice actors.

Bonuses

 * Secret features can be accessed in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix by clearing Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories first or clearing Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix first will also unlock secrets in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories.