I can’t believe it’s taken Square Enix a year and a half to release the next Kingdom Hearts spin-off, after the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts 3. Not that I think 22 months is that long, but Kingdom Hearts spin-offs are a dime a dozen, though generally wonderful. Actually, I’m being generous as the Remind DLC and Kingdom Hearts Dark Road mobile game side story are both spin-offs in their own right, despite being part of previously released games. In any case, in addition to the actual Kairi-centric game’s release, Square Enix is also dolling out a traveling Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory Cafe.
Square Enix seems to have big plans for their Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory Cafe as they’re touring around several locations in both Tokyo and Osaka this December and January, giving many ample opportunities to experience this Disney-themed cuisine. As the name might imply Melody of Memory is something of a trip down memory lane that revisits many of the series’ most iconic moments. This is seemingly reflected in the cafe’s food offerings, which play with a mix of Disney world imagery and the franchise’s own iconography, like the Paopu fruit.
Despite being a self-confessed eternal Kingdom Hearts diehard, I’ve yet to purchase Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory. It’s the first game in the series (since the day Kingdom Hearts 2 came out) I haven’t bought at launch, though I did play the demo enough to clear the hardest song on the hardest difficulty! Unlike when KH2 came out, I’m now an adult with responsibilities to other beings besides Mickey Mouse, though perhaps I’ll have time to play when various Christmas-themed anime adjacent cafes like the Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory Cafe stop materializing.
See the full itinerary of the Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory Cafe here.