Kingdom Hearts III was one of 2019's most anticipated games. After 17 years, a saga finally concluded. There are a myriad of reasons fans appreciate every main Kingdom Hearts. A prime one involves its crossovers with Disney worlds.
In the first Kingdom Hearts, Sora ventured into the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, Tarzan, and more. Kingdom Hearts II went bigger, bringing in Pirates of the Caribbean and Tron. On its announcement, all eyes were on Kingdom Hearts III. Would the third game feature the best worlds yet? The game arguably delivered in spades.
In Kingdom Hearts III, players got to revisit classic Disney pictures such as Toy Story and Monsters Inc. They also traveled to modern fan favorites such as Frozen and Tangled. Many fans were satisfied with the new worlds. However, one world was suspiciously absent from the title, despite being one of Disney's most notable features: Wreck-It Ralph.
What Is Wreck-It Ralph?
In 2012, Disney released Wreck-It Ralph, an animated film focusing on the arcade. It was an acclaimed movie that might have taken home the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature that year if it wasn't for Disney's Brave. The movie follows Ralph, the villain of the fictional arcade game Fix-It Felix Jr. Ralph is tired of not being respected due to being a villain, so he goes on a quest to obtain a medal. Along the way, he visits other fictional arcade games. These include the first-person shooter Hero's Duty and the colorful racer Sugar Rush.
Disney then followed up with a sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet, in 2018.
Wreck-It Ralph remains a favorite among Disney fans, and especially gamers. Everyone involved in the film clearly the arcade and its meaning in the gaming world. In sum, Wreck-It Ralph is one of the more unique animated Disney pictures, with an emphasis on gaming.
A Missed Opportunity
As such a unique film, it's odd not to see Wreck-It Ralph as a world in Kingdom Hearts III. What's especially perplexing is that the lone movie about video games is absent from an actual video game. There's a massive missed opportunity not having Sora visit Fix-It Felix Jr.
The visuals could have been 8-bit and served as a tribute to gaming as a whole. Sora could then visit Hero's Duty for first-person action and race around the colorful tracks in Sugar Rush.
Interestingly, Ralph does appear in Kingdom Hearts III, but only as a summon. Some fans would agree that instead of bringing back something like Pirates of the Caribbean, Wreck-It Ralph would have been a more engaging choice. It could offer the most unique gameplay of all the Disney worlds.
Wreck-It Ralph does get some representation in the mobile title Kingdom Hearts Union X [Cross]. But that game fails to truly realize Wreck-It Ralph's potential as a world.
Needs To Appear In A Future Main Game
Fans can expect more Kingdom Hearts in the future. If the theme of visiting various Disney worlds continues, adding Wreck-It Ralph is essential. Who wouldn't want to play as an 8-bit Sora fixing windows in Fix-It Felix Jr. or jumping into Metroid Prime-like action in Hero's Duty? Wreck-It Ralph missed out on Kingdom Hearts III, but it deserves a place in a future main game.