You just finished the first Kingdom Hearts. You’re hyped. You pop in the next game, or click it in your HD collection menu, and suddenly... cards. Why are there cards? It’s the single most polarizing moment in the entire franchise. Most people either love the tactical depth or absolutely loathe the fact that they can't just mash the X button to win anymore. If you’re looking for a chain of memories walkthrough that actually acknowledges how frustrating this shift is, you’re in the right place. We aren't just listing room names; we’re figuring out how to break the game so it stops breaking you.
The reality is that Chain of Memories isn't a hack-and-slash game. It’s a deck builder disguised as an action RPG. If you try to play it like Kingdom Hearts II, you’re going to get stuck on the Guard Armor boss within the first hour. You've got to think differently.
Deck Building 101: Stop Using Auto-Build
Seriously. The game offers to "Auto-Build" your deck for you. Don't let it. The AI that manages that feature has no concept of "Sleights," which are the literal backbone of your survival. A Sleight is what happens when you stack three cards together by pressing the shoulder buttons (L1+R1 or L+R depending on your platform).
Here’s the thing about cards: their numbers matter more than their damage type early on. A 0 card is your best friend and your worst enemy. If you play a 0 card after an enemy plays a move, you "break" their card and cancel their attack. But if you lead with a 0, the enemy can break you with literally anything. It’s a game of high-stakes "War," but with Disney characters and more spiky hair.
You want to organize your deck so that you can mash the buttons and naturally trigger Sleights. For example, if you put three Kingdom Key cards with values that add up to a specific number, you might trigger "Sonic Blade." This move is basically a cheat code. It stuns enemies and zips Sora across the screen. If you line up three or four Sonic Blades in a row in your deck, you can clear most of the mid-game bosses without taking a single hit.
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Understanding World Order
Does it matter which world you pick first? Kinda. In the original GBA version and the Re:Chain of Memories remake, you get to choose the order of the floors in Castle Oblivion. Most veteran players will tell you to hit Agrabah early. Why? Because the Jafar boss card is arguably the most useful utility item in the game. It prevents enemies from breaking your cards for a set number of attacks. It’s a lifesaver when you're trying to heal and don't want a random Heartless to cancel your Cure card.
- Agrabah: Get that Jafar card.
- Olympus Coliseum: Cloud is a great summon card for your deck.
- Wonderland: Useful for magic-heavy builds, but mostly just annoying because of the map layout.
- Halloween Town: Jack Skellington is... fine, but the boss can be a jerk if you aren't prepared for gravity-based attacks.
- Monstro: High difficulty spike here. Be ready.
The Mid-Game Wall and How to Smash It
Around Floor 7 or 8, the game stops being polite. You’ll start running into Riku Replica and members of Organization XIII like Larxene. This is where a standard chain of memories walkthrough usually tells you to "level up," but levels don't matter as much as Card Capacity (CP).
CP is what allows you to put better cards in your deck. Every time you level up, you get a choice: HP, CP, or a new Sleight. Always pick the Sleight if it’s available. If it’s not, pick CP. You can survive with low health if your deck is fast enough to keep the enemy in a permanent state of "Card Break."
Lethal Frame: The Boss Killer
If you want to know what most people get wrong, it’s ignoring the "Stop" magic. If you combine a Stop card with two Attack cards, you get Lethal Frame. Sora freezes time, teleports behind the enemy, and hits them about a dozen times while they’re helpless. This move is broken. It works on almost every boss, including the final ones. If you fill your deck with Stop cards and high-value Keyblades, you can effectively skip the difficulty of the entire last third of the game.
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Map Cards: Don't Waste Your Golds
Every time you walk through a door, you have to trade in a Map Card. These are dropped by enemies. You might think you should always use the "Premium Room" or "Strong Enemy" cards to get more XP, but that’s a trap. You’ll run out of cards and get stuck grinding in the hallways.
Save your "Moment's Reprieve" cards (the green ones with the save point) for right before boss doors. There is nothing worse than clearing a whole floor, losing to a boss, and realizing your last save was two hours ago on a different floor entirely.
Also, pay attention to the "Roulette Room" cards. If you’re low on specific numbers for your doors, these rooms let you "gamble" for the exact card you need. It’s much faster than wandering around aimlessly hoping for a random drop.
The Riku Side of the Story (Reverse/Rebirth)
Once you finish Sora's story, you unlock "Reverse/Rebirth," which is Riku’s campaign. It’s shorter, faster, and much more aggressive. The biggest difference? You cannot edit Riku’s deck. It’s pre-set for every world.
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This sounds easier, but it’s actually harder for people who liked the customization of Sora's side. You have to rely on "Duel Mode." When you and an enemy play a card with the same value, you can trigger a duel. You then have to quickly play cards from your deck to win the exchange. Riku’s gameplay is all about speed and timing. If you’re struggling with Riku, focus on his "Dark Mode." Once you accumulate enough points from breaking enemy cards, Riku transforms and his Sleights become devastating.
Things the Game Doesn't Tell You
- The 0 Card Trick: Keep one or two 0 cards at the very end of your deck. In most versions of the game, you can "shortcut" to the end of your deck by pressing down on the D-pad. If a boss starts a massive, screen-clearing ultimate attack, shortcut to your 0 card and play it instantly. It stops their move cold.
- Premium Cards: You’ll find "Premium" versions of cards that cost less CP. They look great, but they disappear after one use in a battle unless you use a special item card to bring them back. Don't make your whole deck out of these, or you'll find yourself with zero cards left halfway through a long boss fight.
- Blue Map Cards: These change the environment. "Stagnant Space" makes enemies move slower, which is great for avoiding fights if you're just trying to get to the story beats.
Why This Game Matters
It’s easy to want to skip Chain of Memories and just watch the cutscenes on YouTube. Don't. There’s a specific satisfaction in mastering the card system that you don't get in the other games. It bridges the gap between the original game and Kingdom Hearts II, explaining why Sora is in a pod and who the heck Axel is.
Reference the Kingdom Hearts Ultimania guides if you really want to dive into the math of card damage, but for a standard run, just remember: Sleights over everything. If you aren't using Sleights, you aren't playing the game; you're just struggling against it.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
- Check your current deck: Is it organized? Move your Cure cards to a spot where you can find them instantly (either the very beginning or the very end).
- Go to Agrabah: If you haven't cleared it yet, do it now. The Jafar card is a literal game-changer for boss fights.
- Farm for "Meeting Ground" cards: These give you a friend card at the start of battle. Donald and Goofy might seem useless, but their Sleights with Sora (like Trinity Limit) can clear a whole screen of Heartless in seconds.
- Practice the Shortcut: Get used to hitting the shortcut button to jump to your 0 cards. It’s a muscle memory skill that will save you hours of "Game Over" screens.
- Prioritize CP: Next time you level up, if you don't have a new Sleight to learn, put those points into CP. You can never have enough.