Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is really for the existing fans of the series. The recap of the series thus far isn't enough to get people caught up on what's going on without losing lots of detail in the process. The rhythm mechanics are good, but they have a learning curve regarding the hit area and which system you're working with, not to mention the occasional moments when the game can drop inputs. However, the music fits well with the rhythm game mechanics, even if it isn't laid out in a way that genre fans would expect, and the catalog of over 140 songs will keep players engaged even before we even consider the two multiplayer modes. Overall, it's worth checking out as a companion piece to the main games rather than as an essential primer.