Announced earlier this year, Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a one-of-a-kind rhythm game that celebrates the popular RPG series memorable soundtracks like never before. Protagonist Sora returns alongside his friends Riku and Kairi and Disney favorites Donald and Goofy (and even popular guest stars like Hercules and Aladdin) to challenge a series of tricky rhythm- and music-based stages and battles.
Melody of Memory will debut for Nintendo Switch in the West on November 13, 2020, with pre-purchase options available starting today. It is also anticipated to release for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game’s Japanese release will take place two days earlier on November 11.
The August 26 edition of the Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase revealed tons of new exciting information about the rhythm game title. Most importantly, several new tracks were announced to be featured in the game, including dearly beloved (pun fully intended) theme song Simple and Clean (known as Hikari in Japanese), sung by Utada Hikaru, and award-winning hit Let it Go from the 2013 Disney film Frozen.
The game will feature multiple modes, all of which revolve around rhythm game mechanics. “Memory Dive” mode sees Sora and his friends literally free-falling through their own memories, revisiting scenes, and replaying classic stages from various entries throughout the Kingdom Hearts series. Players will even get to experience this mode as characters other than Sora — one stage shows off a team of Roxas, Axel, and Xion, the main protagonists from spinoff title Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. Meanwhile, “Boss Battle” modes pit your party against a single powerful enemy, such as Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent, and require you to deflect their attacks with precise timing.
Additionally, once you’ve cleared stages in these various modes, you can listen to unlocked tracks via “Music Player” — and even re-watch some of your favorite scenes from throughout the series via “Cinematics.”
Want to explore Kingdom Hearts music together with your friends? Players with a Nintendo Switch Online membership can compete against other players in “VS. Battles,” and even save and record their high scores. Local multiplayer options are also available, which allow you to compete against your family and friends. The Nintendo Switch version of the game will feature an exclusive “Free For All Mode,” in which up to eight players can compete against each other in local multiplayer at the same time.
Finally, the game has been confirmed to feature an all-new story starring Kairi, who will finally get the chance to wield a Keyblade of her own properly. While the Mini Direct did not reveal much new information regarding Melody of Memory’s story content, viewers were treated to a brief scene featuring Kairi consulting the scientist Ansem the Wise and his lab assistants regarding the whereabouts of her friends, particularly Riku, with whom she may reunite during the new chapter. Also, the Switch version of the game’s box art (illustrated by Tetsuya Nomura) features Kairi in the center position, surrounded by her friends and allies, further emphasizing that she will be the primary character of this game’s story.
Melody of Memory has been confirmed to feature over 140 songs from throughout the series. Also, it is speculated to include approximately 20 playable characters — meaning that there are probably some unrevealed characters in addition to those we’ve gotten glimpses of in previous trailers. Series creator Tetsuya Nomura has hinted in interviews that more information and possibly another full trailer might be coming before the game debuts in November.
Which song are you most excited to fight along to when Melody of Memory releases? Let us know!
