Music Stage

Music Stages (ステージ, Sutēji, lit. "Stage") are the main gameplay mode in Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory.

Music Stage types

Field Battle

In Field Battles, the party runs down a music sheet, defeating enemies to the beat of the music. They can press , , and/or to defeat enemies. Some enemies require pressing to jump, whether to attack an enemy in the air or dodge an attack. Certain green notes require holding to glide. Ability crystals also appear on the track, activated with to unleash powerful abilities.

Memory Dive

In Memory Dives, the party glides down a music sheet as cutscenes from across the series play. Instead of defeating enemies, the player has to land on the correct notes, using , , and/or . For hold notes, the player needs to hold at least one of the buttons.

Boss Battle

Boss Battles pit the party against a boss. Gameplay is mostly identical to Memory Dives, though with the addition of ability crystals from Field Battles. During a Boss Battle, the track my sometimes enter a Dark Zone. When a Dark Zone is cleared, the boss will perform a powerful attack that the party will defend against or evade; the player's performance affects the party's defense against the attack.

Special Music Stages

Co-Op mode

Co-op mode places two players against each other in a select few Field Battles. The first player plays as Sora while the second plays as Riku.

Mechanics

Scoring

Letters to be replaced with rank images

Rank		Score range
EN	JP
A+++	SSS	9000000 – 9999999
A++	SS	8500000 – 8999999
A+	S	8000000 – 8499999
A		7000000 – 7999999
B		6000000 – 6999999
C		5000000 – 5999999
D		4000000 – 4999999
E		2000000 – 3999999
F		0000000 – 1999999

Rewards

At the end of a Music Stage, Rhythm Points are awarded based on score and various other performance criteria. Music Stages will also drop several types of items upon a successful clear: Collector's Cards, consumable items, and synthesis materials. The number of materials earned can be increased by upgrading the Key Art Collector's Level bonus or equipping an Item Boost.

The Collector's Cards dropped by a given Music Stage are determined by the Collector's Card pack the stage belongs to. There are 37 different packs, each with a different set of Character, Enemy, and Keyblade Collector's Cards. There is also a random chance that a Treasure Chest will spawn at the end of a Music Stage, granting a random Key Art Collector's Card.

The five consumable items are dropped at a fixed rate that is the same for every Music Stage.

Nearly every Music Stage can drop three types of synthesis materials, but the advanced Crystal materials will only drop once they have been unlocked by reaching the appropriate Moogle Level. Each material type is associated with a specific group of stages based on the origin of the songs. The number of synthesis materials earned is also dependent on score, with higher scores awarding up to 12 extra materials.