Kingdom Hearts II Speedruns FAQ

Q: What version of Kingdom Hearts II is this?
A: This is the original English PlayStation 2 version, being played on slim PS2 console (90k model) with DualShock2 controller.

Q: What are the differences between the original PS2 version (often called 'KH2E' by the community) and the Final Mix version (KH2FM)?
A: Final Mix made a ton of rebalancing changes & added a lot of new content - here's some quick hits on how version differences impact Any% speedruns:
-Beginner difficulty is the only viable difficulty for Any% speedruns on KH2E - Standard/Proud difficulties are significantly (~45 minutes) slower due to higher enemy stats that make for much longer fights.  KH2FM added Critical difficulty, which works well for a higher challenge Any% speedrun due to Sora having buffed offensive capabilities in return for greatly reduced HP.
-Several very strong Limit & Summon abilities in KH2E were weakened in KH2FM, such as the Genie Summon and Goofy's Knocksmash Limit.
-Several useful Abilities gained from Bonus Levels (stat/ability bonuses awarded after specific fights/minigames) are gained earlier in the game in KH2E compared to KH2FM - Explosion (Sora's best combo finisher outside of Drive forms) is the biggest one since it's learned in Agrabah I in KH2E and in Space Paranoids II (which is skipped in Any% speedruns) in KH2FM.
-The Roxas fight in The World That Never Was is just a cutscene in KH2E - KH2FM added a proper boss fight.
-Loading times for KH2FM are considerably faster than KH2E - roughly 20 minute difference on PS2 and roughly 1 hour on PS4/PC.

Q: Why are you running this version of KH2 if it's slower and less complete than Final Mix?
A: This is the version of KH2 I have the most nostalgia for (over 20 years later I still remember how hyped I was during the lead-up to KH2's original release), I like the combat/boss strategies better overall, I like a lot of the original soundtrack better than the PS4/PC rearrangements, and I find it significantly easier & more fun to practice due to being able to use emulator savestates.