History YMMV / KingdomHeartsMelodyOfMemory

* DisappointingLastLevel: Not the actual last level, but the last segment of World Tour, ''Kingdom Hearts III''. Despite the game having a ton of original music and several new worlds, ''III'' is among the shortest sections of the game, with only seven songs, six of which are Memory Dives. The only sections that are shorter are ''Chain of Memories'', ''Days'', ''Re:coded'', and ''0.2'', all of which feature comparatively little original music on their own. This can be explained away as ''III'' worlds being hard to recreate in this game, and its development being in tandem with VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII leading to a lack of music (as stated in interviews) but it's still a bit of a letdown to some.

* UnexpectedCharacter: More a case of "Unexpected Song," but very few people expected ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast'', ''[[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} A Whole New World]]'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Circle of Life]]'' would appear in this game, since none of them have ever appeared in a ''Kingdom Hearts'' game, despite their respective films appearing.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
** Despite the inclusion of multiple unique boss themes, the game only features four actual boss fights. Many players were left wondering why memorable bosses like Sephiroth or Roxas didn't make it even though their songs are available as Field Tracks.
** [[WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}} Symphony of Sorcery]], the one Disney world that has music as its central motif, is AdaptedOut of this rhythm game.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While the {{compilation rerelease}}s of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series have helped make the series easier to hop into, the series' convoluted story is still one of the biggest barriers of entry. ''Melody of Memory''[='=]s story mode up until its final song acts as a RecapEpisode for every previous game, leaving out the unnecessary details that make the story hard to follow. Everything that's happened so far is relayed in bite-sized cutscenes, which total just under 30 minutes in combined length, with the post-''Re MIND'' content extending it to just under 50. And just as well for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch-only players, as no previous ''Kingdom Hearts'' game was released on the Switch.

* DisappointingLastLevel: Not the actual last level, but the last segment of World Tour, ''Kingdom Hearts III''. Despite the game having a ton of original music and several new worlds, ''III'' is among the shortest sections of the game, with only seven songs, six of which are Memory Dives. The only sections that are shorter are ''Chain of Memories'', ''Days'', ''Re:coded'', and ''0.2'', all of which feature comparatively little original music on their own. This can be explained away as ''III'' worlds being hard to recreate in this game, but it's still a bit of a letdown.

* EpilepticTrees: The hooded figure featured in the trailers garnered a lot of attention. The two biggest theories surrounding them were that they were the Master of Masters, helped by the teasing shot of the figure reaching up to lower their hood. Or they were Master Xehanort, this conclusion was fueled by Kairi mentioning how the figure was always altering her fate, which nicely describes the trouble the Xehanort incarnations caused her and Sora. [[spoiler:The figure was ultimately revealed to be a sort of GhostMemory of Master Xehanort.]]

* DifficultySpike: [[spoiler:The FinalBoss fight against Master Xehanort, "Dark Domination", stands out for being noticeably more difficult than the vast majority of the songs in the rest of the game. Proud Mode especially so, as the game ''hammers'' you with never-before-seen patterns and mix-ups that can throw you for a loop.]]

* DisappointingLastLevel: Not the actual last level, but the last segment of World Tour, ''Kingdom Hearts III''. Despite the game having a ton of original music and several new worlds, ''III'' is among the shortest sections of the game, with only seven songs, six of which are Memory Dives, and the only sections that are shorter are ''Chain of Memories'', ''Days'', ''Re:coded'', and ''0.2'', all of which feature comparatively little original music on their own. This can be explained away as ''III'' worlds being hard to recreate in this game, but it's still a bit of a letdown.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While the {{compilation rerelease}}s of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series have helped make the series easier to hop into, the series' convoluted story is still one of the biggest barriers of entry. ''Melody of Memory''[='=]s story mode up until its final song acts as a RecapEpisode for every previous game, leaving out the unnecessary details that make the story hard to follow. Everything that's happened so far is relayed in bite-sized cutscenes, which total just under 50 minutes in combined length. And just as well for UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch-only players, as no previous ''Kingdom Hearts'' game was released on the Switch.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While the {{compilation rerelease}}s of the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series have helped make the series easier to hop into, the series' convoluted story is still one of the biggest barriers of entry. ''Melody of Memory''[='=]s story mode up until its final song acts as a RecapEpisode for every previous game, leaving out the unnecessary details that make the story hard to follow. Everything that's happened so far is relayed in bite-sized cutscenes, which total just under 50 minutes in combined length.

** While the game presented Kairi as the main character, the rhythm game style (see above) and the heavy focus on Sora turned off many fans at first, because they were still sore of [[DamselScrappy her treatment]] in ''Kingdom Hearts III'', prior to ''Re:Mind'''s [[TookALevelInBadass turnabout portrayal]] of her.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Despite the inclusion of multiple unique boss themes, the game only features four actual boss fights. Many players were left wondering why memorable bosses like Sephiroth or Roxas didn't make it even though their songs are available as Field Tracks.
* UnexpectedCharacter: More a case of "Unexpected Song," but very few people expected ''WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast, [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} A Whole New World]]'' and ''[[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing Circle of Life]]'' would appear in this game, since none of them have ever appeared in a Kingdom Hearts game, despite their respective films appearing.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While the compilation re-releases of the Kingdom Hearts series have helped make the series easier to hop into, the series' convoluted story is still one of the biggest barriers of entry. Melody of Memory acts as a recap episode of sorts, leaving out the unnecessary details that make the story hard to follow. Everything that's happened so far is relayed in bite-sized cutscenes, which total just under 50 minutes in combined length.

* MemeticMutation: Ya like Jazz? [[labelnote:Explanation]]The newest rendition of Dearly Beloved sounds definitely Jazz inspired, leading to people pouting up the much more popular 'Ya Like Jazz?' meme from the infamous ''WesternAnimation/BeeMovie''.[[/labelnote]]

** The idea of a ''Kingdom Hearts'' rhythm game didn't endear to everyone, given that the series' past uses of the genre [[ScrappyMechanic weren't exactly well-received]]. The trailers also showed what appears to be important story events for future titles, meaning players won't be able to just ignore this title. Even though the gameplay was shown to be a more involved affair in the style of ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy'' instead of a simplistic mini-game like [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Atlantica's Musical]] or [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Ice Cream Beat]] (it helps that ''Theatrhythm'' developer, Creator/IndiesZero, is codeveloping the game), a significant amount of comments on the trailers declared intent to [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame just watch the story cutscenes on YouTube and not purchase the game]].

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While the compilation re-releases of the Kingdom Hearts series have helped make the series easier to hop into, the series' convoluted story is still one of the biggest barriers of entry. Melody of Memory acts as a recap episode of sorts, leaving out the unnecessary details that makes the story hard to follow. Everything that's happened so far is relayed in bite-sized cutscenes, which total just under 50 minutes in combined length.

* AuthorsSavingThrow: While the compilation re-releases of the Kingdom Hearts series have helped make the series easier to hop into, the series' convoluted story is still one of the biggest barriers of entry. Melody of Memory acts as a recap episode of sorts, leaving out the unnecessary details that makes the story hard to. Everything that's happened so far is relayed in bite-sized cutscenes, which total just under 50 minutes in combined length.

* EpilepticTrees: The hooded figure featured in the trailers garnered a lot of attention. The two biggest theories surrounding them were the Master of Masters, helped by the teasing shot of the figure reaching up to lower their hood. Or Master Xehanort, this conclusion was fueled by Kairi mentioning how the figure was always altering her fate, which nicely describes the trouble the Xehanort incarnations caused her and Sora. [[spoiler:The figure was ultimately revealed to be a sort of GhostMemory of Master Xehanort.]]

* EpilepticTrees: The hooded figure featured in the trailers garnered a lot of attention. The two biggest theories surrounding them were the Master of Masters, helped by the teasing shot of the figure reaching up to lower their hood. Or Master Xehanort, this conclusion was fueled by Kairi mentioning how the figure was always altering her fate, which nicely describes the trouble the Xehanort incarnations caused her and Sora. The figure was ultimately revealed to be a sort of GhostMemory of Master Xehanort.

** While the game presented Kairi as the main character, the rhythm game style (see above) and the heavy focus on Sora turned off many fans at first, because they were still sore of her treatment in ''Kingdom Hearts III'', prior to ''Re:Mind'''s turnabout portrayal of her.

** The idea of a ''Kingdom Hearts'' rhythm game didn't endear to everyone, given that the series' past uses of the genre [[ScrappyMechanic weren't exactly well-received]]. The trailers also showed what appears to be important story events for future titles, meaning players won't be able to just ignore this title. Even though the gameplay was shown to be a more involved affair in the style of ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy'' instead of a simplistic mini-game like [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Atlantica's Musical]] or [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Ice Cream Beat]] (it helps that ''Theatrhythm'' developer, Creator/IndiesZero, is codeveloping the game), a significant amount of comments on the trailers declare intent to [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame just watch the story cutscenes on YouTube and not purchase the game]].
** While the game presents Kairi as the main character, the rhythm game style and the heavy focus on Sora turned off many fans, many of whom were still sore of her treatment in ''Kingdom Hearts III''.

* TaintedByThePreview: The idea of a ''Kingdom Hearts'' rhythm game didn't endear to everyone, given that the series' past uses of the genre [[ScrappyMechanic weren't exactly well-received]]. The trailers also showed what appears to be important story events for future titles, meaning players won't be able to just ignore this title. Even though the gameplay was shown to be a more involved affair in the style of ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy'' instead of a simplistic mini-game like [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Atlantica's Musical]] or [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Ice Cream Beat]] (it helps that ''Theatrhythm'' developer, Creator/IndiesZero, is codeveloping the game), a significant amount of comments on the trailers declare intent to [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame just watch the story cutscenes on YouTube and not purchase the game]].

* TaintedByThePreview: The idea of a ''Kingdom Hearts'' rhythm game didn't endear to everyone, given that the series' past uses of the genre [[ScrappyMechanic weren't exactly well-received]]. The trailers also showed what appears to be important story events for future titles, meaning players won't be able to just ignore this title. Even though the gameplay was shown to be a more involved affair in the style of ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy'' instead of a simplistic mini-game like [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Atlantica's Musical]] or [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Ice Cream Beat]], a significant amount of comments on the trailers declare intent to [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame just watch the story cutscenes on YouTube and not purchase the game]].

* MemeticMutation: Ya like Jazz? [[labelnote:Explanation]]The newest rendition of Dearly Beloved sounds definitely Jazz inspired, leading to people pouting up the much more popular 'Ya Like Jazz?' meme from the infamous [[WesternAnimation/BeeMovie Bee Movie.]] [[/labelnote]]

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Considering the entire point of the game (besides being a sequel to ''III'') is to celebrate the iconic music of ''Kingdom Hearts'', it's pretty much ''only'' going to have the best of the best. It even comes with a sweet jazz arrangement of "Dearly Beloved"!

* TaintedByThePreview: The idea of a ''Kingdom Hearts'' rhythm game didn't endear to everyone, given that the series' past uses of the genre [[ScrappyMechanic weren't exactly well-received]]. The trailers also showed what appears to be important story events for future titles, meaning players won't be able to just ignore this title. Even though the gameplay was shown to be a more involved affair in the style of ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy'' instead of a simplistic mini-game like [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Atlantica's Musical]] or [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Ice Cream Beat]], a significant amount of comments on the trailers declare intent to [[EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame just watch the story cutscenes on YouTube and not purchase the game]].

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The idea of making the next major installment in the main series also be a GenreShift into a rhythm game, in a series that's heavily recognized for its ActionRPG gameplay, was not particularly well-met by some fans, especially those on the PlayTheGameSkipTheStory and EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame ends of the spectrum. Not to mention [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII the last time "Kingdom Hearts" and "rhythm game" were in the same sentence together]] [[ScrappyLevel not a lot of fans particularly liked it.]]

* MemeticMutation:
** Ya like Jazz? [[labelnote:Explanation]]The newest rendition of Dearly Beloved sounds definitely Jazz inspired, leading to people pouting up the much more popular 'Ya Like Jazz?' meme from the infamous [[WesternAnimation/BeeMovie Bee Movie.]] [[/labelnote]]

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Considering the entire point of the game (besides being a sequel to ''III'') is to celebrate the iconic music of ''Kingdom Hearts'', it's pretty much ''only'' going to have the best of the best. It even comes with a sweet jazz arrangement of "Dearly Beloved"!

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The idea of making the next major installment in the main series also be a GenreShift into a rhythm game, in a series that's heavily recognized for its ActionRPG gameplay, was not particularly well-met by some fans, especially those on the PlayTheGameSkipTheStory and EnjoyTheStorySkipTheGame ends of the spectrum. Not to mention [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII the last time "Kingdom Hearts" and "rhythm game" were in the same sentence together]] [[ScrappyLevel not a lot of fans particularly liked it.]]