Summary
A talentedKingdom Heartsfan has finally done whatSquare Enixseemingly won’t and remastered the previouslyNintendo DS-exclusive 358/2 Days through a project called Melon Mix.
Even though we’ve only had a fewtruly new Kingdom Hearts games over the past few console generations, the series has been kept alive and well throughremasters of the classic PS2, DS, PSP, and 3DS games. Although the biggest games like Kingdom Hearts,Kingdom Hearts 2, and Birth by Sleep have been given excellent remasters through the 1.5 and 2.5 HD ReMixes, not every KH game is equal.
Two of the DS-exclusive Kingdom Hearts games, Re:Coded and 358/2 Days, were only ever given cutscene compilations in the remixes and weren’t completely playable, something that has been a bit of a controversial subject over the years. Some fans don’t mind since they’re usually considered worse than the games that are playable, while others would like to see them in their best form.
358/2 Days Has Got The Remaster It Deserves
While Square Enix seems like it’s never going to grant that wish and properly port over Re:Coded and 358/2 Days, some talented Kingdom Hearts fans (led by vitor251093) have done the hard work for them andessentially remastered 358/2 Days by using MelonDS, a free and open-source Nintendo DS emulator. Thus,we have the Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Melon Mix.
This impressive remaster wasshown off by popular Kingdom Hearts YouTuber TheGamersJoint, who did a video showing it in action and detailing all of the changes that it makes to the game. The first big change is to the resolution, which is claimed to have been increased by at least “16 times”, resulting in a much cleaner look overall. Sure, it still looks like a DS game, but it’s definitely more detailed.
That change in resolution is pretty standard for emulators, though, as the Melon Mix actually does a whole lot more than that. This version of the game makes 358/2 Days playable on PC with a single screen (including widescreen support) with regular controller compatibility. As you can see from the video, this means bringing all of Days' dual-screen features, such as the mini-map, onto one screen at the same time.
The Melon Mix version of 358/2 Days uses a modified version of MelonDS to essentially remaster the game and make it a one-screen experience, which makes it the best way to play the game if you’re not actually on a DS. It’s pretty impressive and a much better way of experiencing Roxas' story than just watching some cutscenes.
Now we just need a full 358/2 Days remake, and 358/2 Days might finally be getting the respect that it deserves.
