I agree. Heck, by that point, we could have had a sequel to Super Mario RPG in that time frame in addition to Square's take on Zelda and a Kirby RPG. And if anything, those three bases already cover a significant portion of what Kingdom Hearts was originally like IOTL. A hubworld based on the other company's mascot, interstellar travel, and being able to traverse into new exotic locations.Continuing on from the "Square crossover JRPG niche" conversation that we had yesterday, could've a Mario RPG, a Zelda RPG and a Kirby RPG, both made by Square, culminated in a Nintendo Kingdom Hearts? I mean, Square would've already developed a close relationship with Nintendo at this point, so it makes more sense to feature Nintendo characters rather than Disney characters.
Heck, for my money, it's easier to see King Mario than it is to see King Mickey.