I grew up always wishing I could play these games (Nintendo kid) and watched from afar as people I grew up with gushed about them and how much they meant to them. But by the time I grew up, and never getting the chance to play them in my youth, I'd already become disillusioned with Disney and their properties and practices. I thought I might have missed the boat on this thing that people so ravenously loved it was confusing from the outside.
So I bought the remastered collections, and gave them a real go, and am I glad I did. KHII is not perfect, and there are a couple things I actively dislike about it (looking at you Pooh), but the PACING is damn near perfect. This was the one true time Disney and Square came together to blend these worlds and stories together, information in one world leading to things discovered in another, and each of our Disney friends have an actual part to play in their respective worlds and in the overarching plot.
The combat is like crack, somehow striking this delicate balance of turn-based and action combat that rewards smart play and positioning over mashing X. Mashing X might get you through standard fights, but bosses will make you learn, and the true depth of its combat comes when you learn how to make massive moves and combos all on your own. KHII will kick you sideways a few times, and more than a few times towards the end of the game, but it was never more than I could manage, and even when it felt that way, I felt compelled to continue and master this combat dance.
This is where the series truly kicks into gear, and what spurred me to play every last one. Such a genuine joy to play and beat.