Rhythm Games have still been intimidating for several gamers, especially with the likes of Rhythm Games that simulate musical instruments to timing-based games (that, let’s face it, are not supposed to be branded as a Rhythm Game). With its successful release last July 3 on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, Rhythm Heaven Groove (or in Japanese, Rhythm Tengoku Miracle Stars), it brought both new players to introduce to the Rhythm Heaven franchise and also hardcore fans of the genre who’s been playing the previous games from the 3DS (Rhythm Heaven Megamix/Rhythm Tengoku: The Best+), Wii (Rhythm Heaven Fever/Minna no Rhythm Tengoku), DS (Rhythm Heaven/Rhythm Tengoku Gold), or even as old as the original Rhythm Tengoku on the Gameboy Advance! With 23+ Hours locked in getting every minor detail about the game (and even grinding Medals, Rings, and Perfect Hearts), it’s safe to say that if you’re going into the Rhythm Game genre, this is the perfect place to start.
Rhythm Heaven (or Rhythm Tengoku) has been a staple Nintendo IP for 20 years, with Tsunku, a Japanese singer, record producer and songwriter, who has a vision of making a game that would teach everyone the importance of a sense of rhythm. Tsunku is heavily involved with every game in the franchise and it has been a great hit, made a cult following and also helped several people to get into the entire genre altogether or even incorporate it as a learning tool for their musical skills. With the success of the 2006 GBA Release, the game has evolved drastically, turning into an arcade game in 2007, a sequel (and first overseas release) on Nintendo DS, Fever Rundown on Nintendo Wii, a huge compilation exclusive on Nintendo 3DS, and, several years later, Rhythm Heaven Groove is finally announced.
If you’re a fan of the WarioWare series, the style and how the games are presented will absolutely feel right at home. Rhythm Heaven Groove presents 80 different main games with different interactions and difficulties in getting into the beat. For the hardcore Rhythm Tengoku fans out there, the interface has been laid out as a reminiscence of the original and Japan-exclusive Game Boy Advance title.
Most notable I experienced from Previous Rhythm Heaven titles is from time to time, the first 5 games is still difficult for someone who have been playing this for the first time especially with Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii), they now added ‘Video Example’ every tutorial by holding ‘Y’ when you get stuck (or you don’t get the rhythm) is a very welcomed addition. Another thing: when you get further with your progress, you will still have a chance to review the game’s respective mechanics in addition to whatever they added for the sequel of that minigame.
With the introduction of Lil’ Miss Reed, the game added Text-to-Speech to the game which is a first for its franchise. You can also set how talkative Lil’ Miss Reed is by reading and describing lines (making the game very accessible for visually impaired players), or have it not talk at all, just like the previous games of the franchise in the Read-Aloud Settings.
Everything else from the gameplay is already top-notch, especially in terms of climbing difficulty; it has felt underwhelming when it was introduced in Nintendo Direct, but the more I played it, the more memorable and fun even for games at first it felt boring like ‘Space Sentry’ and ‘A for Effort.’ (Sorry, Mr. Guitar Man). My personal favorite minigames are Lightning Bolting, Soda Hop, Space Sentry, Quick Hands (Welcome back, Karate Joe!), Soccer Dreams, and among them all: Backup Spotlight (a successor to the GBA’s Space Dance!)
Remixes are top-notch, especially games like Remix 3, having incorporating two interactions at once, and Remix 8 being a surprise as the song is performed by a popular Japanese Utaite, Ado!
Whether you’re trying to clear everything, earn medals, or perfect, this game does not disappoint until the end (where you clear Remix 20). And this is just scratching the surface, as the content doesn’t stop from there.
Rhythm Heaven Groove has also introduced 30 more multiplayer games (which is technically 10 with three difficulty levels) that would allow you to play together or battle it out up to 4 players!
Some of the titles are the revival of classic GBA games like Rhythm Tweezers, Ninja Bodyguards, and Sick Beats, one from Nintendo Wii (Archer Angels), and the rest are new games that are surprisingly fun! It still got me underwhelmed at first, but when my friends and I tried it out, it became more hilariously fun, especially with games like Cake Wait, Volleyball-ish, and Tennis Quest.
One of my personal favorite games that came with this version is a rhythm-slash-RPG game called ‘Beatspell’ where you cast spells using specific beats, dodge (or backflip) to evade getting hit or stun a monster, and level up spells, sort of reminiscent of Patapon or Hi-Fi Rush with the rhythm-based mechanics. If I were to be honest, this is the game that got me plenty of hours experimenting with all the numerous items and spell combinations to learn from while still keeping the core game it came with. Although do take note that unlocking chapters requires medals from the main game, so be sure you’re still playing the main game, but trust me, it’s all worth it.
With the aforementioned unlocking through medals (by getting Amazing/Superb), you can unlock more games, toys, and even Drum Lessons (yes, you read that right!) Drum Lessons gets a spotlight here as it actually teaches you fundamentals on how to play different rhythms with a drum kit. And believe it or not, this is also the hardest game that you’ll ever play, but it’s going to absolutely reflect on learning how to play drums in real life.
As an avid rhythm game player who has been mastering this genre for decades (and actually learned how to play drums because of DrumMania in the arcade), the fundamentals have been spot-on.
Rhythm Heaven Groove is not just an introduction for its beloved franchise co-developed by another musician with that vision that learning the sense of rhythm can be fun, but also a culmination of how to get better at the entire Rhythm Game genre by making fun and approachable games like Rhythm Heaven Groove. This may be a good starting point on why timing and training your ears is essential for any Rhythm Game you may encounter that you take interest in. I can guarantee that when you grow or move forward from this game and discover other Rhythm Games whether it will be in the arcade like Maimai, Taiko no Tatsujin, Pump It Up, or on Console or PC with DJMAX, O2Jam, or osu!, or Mobile Games like Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage (Project SEKAI ft. Hatsune Miku), BanG Dream!, or Hololive Dreams, you will notice drastic changes in your playstyle and will have a complete understanding and appreciation to the genre either if you’re just in for the music, or want to be masterful like it’s another form of musical instrument.
This game feature has been written by Nicdroid, a Music Rhythm Game player who has been playing not just the entire Rhythm Heaven franchise but also the genre in general for 20+ years, with 23+ Hours of playtime still grinding Perfect Hearts at the time of this writing.