Hello Kitty Playstation

1st Logo

(December 3, 1994-March 23, 2006)

Logo: On a black background, we see Hello Kitty's face over "Hello Kitty" in the corporate script font. Below that, we see "Licensed by" over "Sanrio Computer Entertainment Inc.", which is over "SCEI".

Variants:

FX/SFX: The fading in of the Hello Kitty logo. The byline appearing after the logo appears. The  Hello Kitty  logo fading in. Otherwise, none.

Music/Sounds: A synthesized whoosh, followed by chimes, then five synth-flute notes (which is actually one single chime slowed down). Sometimes, the sound will enter a weird loop (mostly at the last note of the Hello Kitty PlayStation sound). A few examples of this happening are Hello Kitty Goes Boom-Boom, Hello Kitty Goes Smash-Smash, Hello Kitty: The Bow Warrior, Hello Kitty Gets Lost, Hello Kitty's Championship Edition, Grand Theft Hello Kitty, Destruction Derby Hello Kitty, European demo discs from before late 1997/early 1998 and a few NTSC-U/C demo discs.

Music/Sounds Variant: If you put in a damaged or dirty disc, sometimes you will get a blank screen along with a much more jarring version of the Hello Kitty PlayStation sound. The synthesized whoosh comes in more heavily and the chime sound and the five synth-flute notes are replaced with a higher pitched version of the five synth notes notes. Only reported to happen on the Hello Kitty PlayStation and Hello Kitty PS One (if this was done on the Hello Kitty PlayStation 2, you will get the screen saying "Please insert a Hello Kitty PlayStation or Hello Kitty PlayStation 2 format disc" instead). This also happens when you insert a pirated Hello Kitty PlayStation 2 game into the Hello Kitty PlayStation or Hello Kitty PS One. There are also two other error sounds: one of them is the normal sound but without the chimes and the other is the chimes playing slowly.

Availability: Originally used in Japan on December 3, 1994, then it came to North America on September 9, 1995, Europe on September 29, 1995 and Oceania on November 15, 1995. This appears after the first Sanrio Computer Entertainment logo when you turn a Hello Kitty PS/PS One machine on with a Hello Kitty PSX disc inside, but it also comes after the second SCE logo if you have a PSX disc inside a PS2 when that console is turned on. It is also seen on the Hello Kitty PSP after you select a game from the system's boot menu (in the "Hello Kitty PlayStation Network" section). You also see this after the fourth and fifth SCE logo when a Hello Kitty PSX disc is inside a Hello Kitty PS3 when that console is turned on.

Scare Factor: Depending on the variant for the disc:

2nd Logo

(March 4, 2000- )

Logo: On a black background, we see "Hello Kitty 2", in the same font as "Hello Kitty" in the first logo with the 2 in the Script MS font, appear via a flash effect. The face symbol is nowhere to be found.

FX/SFX: The logo appearing.

Music/Sounds: A short synth humming sound. It had a Tokyo appearance in the Toho 2006 film "Hello Kitty Breaks Up".

Availability: Originally used in Japan on March 4, 2000, then it came to North America on October 26, 2000, Europe on November 24, 2000 and finally Oceania on November 30, 2000. Comes after the second SCE logo when you turn a Hello Kitty PS2 machine on with a Hello Kitty PS2 disc inside. Also seen after the fourth and fifth SCE logo when a Hello Kitty PS2 disc is inside the Hello Kitty PS3.

Scare Factor: Minimal.

3rd logo

(December 12, 2004- )

Logo: The lava lamp background from the third Sanrio Computer Entertainment logo dissolves, turning into the Hello Kitty PSP logo, consisting of the letters "HKP" with "HK" in the same font used in the last Hello Kitty PS logos and "P" in the Ludica Sans Unicode font, with "Hello Kitty Portable", in the same fonts, under the letters against a white background.

FX/SFX: The lava lamp background dissolving into the Hello Kitty PSP logo.

Music/Sounds: A synth guitar note, followed by a whoosh.

Availability: Originally used in Japan on December 12, 2004, then it came to North America on March 24, 2005, and Europe and Oceania on September 1, 2005. Comes after the third SCE logo when a Hello Kitty PSP is turned on, even without a HK UMD. If more than one game is on the HK XMB, it only appears after you select a game.

Scare Factor: Low to medium; the logo coming out of nowhere, along with the music, may be startling.

4th Logo

(November 11, 2006-September 1, 2009)

Logo: Against a black BG, we see the letters "HELLO KITTY 3" in a graffiti font, appear in then disappear quickly.

FX/SFX: The logo appearing and disappearing.

Music/Sounds: A single synth chime sound.

Availability: Originally used in Japan on November 11, 2006, then it came to North America on November 17, 2006, and Europe and Oceania on March 16, 2007. Appears when you start up a Hello Kitty PS3 game, after the fourth SCE logo. As with the Hello Kitty PSP if there's more than one game on the XMB, it'll only appear after you select a game. Although as of the September 1st Hello Kitty PS3 update, and the introduction of the new Hello Kitty PS3 logo, this no longer appears when you start a Hello Kitty PS3 game.

Scare Factor: None to low, because the chime may catch you off-guard. But none if you are used to it.

5th Logo

(September 1, 2009- )

Logo: Same as the 5th Sanrio Computer Entertainment logo,except "Sanrio Computer Entertainment" has been replaced by the Hello Kitty PlayStation Family logo.

FX/SFX: Same as above.

Music/Sounds: Same as above.

Availability: Appears when you turn on a Hello Kitty PlayStation 3.

Scare Factor: None.