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I’ll make it easy: just get Rhythm Heaven Groove. You will be happy. I think.
Every few years, Nintendo returns to its weird franchises. Out came WarioWare, a strange collection of mini-arcade games In the form of a switch Twice already. But Rhythm Heaven, the series that never came to Nintendo Switch, is now back. Its below-average price for Nintendo of $40 makes it a better value.
If you like games where you tap to the beat of a song, that’s exactly what Rhythm Heaven Groove is all about. The fun comes from the innovative, weird and wonderful animation and the infectious Japanese soundtrack. They’re perfect for quick gaming sessions, practically require you to turn up the volume and are best played without wireless headphones. Keep the communication level low.
Now, to be clear, I’ve always loved music rhythm games like PaRappa the Rapper, Frequency, Elite Beat Agents, Exile. And I love weird little games. The rhythm of the sky speaks directly to me.
But it also speaks volumes about the benefits of the portable/dockable Nintendo Switch. I like a game like this because I can play it on the go and with friends, which you can do in a group of multiplayer mini-games or by just passing it around the room to try out different challenges.
The Rhythm Heaven series has featured new entries every few years, all based on song-length minigames. latest one, Rhythm Heaven Megamix On Nintendo 3DS, it was a compilation of the previous Rhythm Heavens game. But Rhythm Heaven never appeared on Switch, not even in any of the Nintendo Switch Online classic console collections. This is your chance to come back.
A multiplayer reaction time ninja mini game.
Not much has changed in the structure, which is a problem in some ways. The song-long minigames with scripted tunes all have different synchronization challenges and involve simple button-pressing combinations along with animations that often try to subvert your attention. There are dozens of longer games, as well as additional challenge modes, more multiplayer minigames and some strange surprise modes. It’s a good case to hold, and unlike the older Megamix, it’s brand new.
Some examples: One had you popping umbrellas with adorable little creatures in them. Another features an assembly line of finger-cracking balls. In another story, a couple rhythmically communicates with an alien. Another has a crab throwing things into a hole. The songs are all infectious, and work their way into my head. They have become the soundtrack of early summer.
My kids grew up loving Rhythm Heaven on the Wii and are thrilled the series is back. So am I, and I have to admit I was trying not to rush it, even with the review embargo.
BeatSpell is a bonus mode where spells are cast with beats.
I wish new ideas were introduced here, to expand the definition of the whole experience. There’s an additional mode called BeatSpell that does some of this. It’s a series of RPG-style battles using rhythm-inducing spell moves, but in the age of indie games that have ventured into rhythm territory (like Crypt of the Necrodancer), I expected more innovation. Nintendo is playing it safe with this one.
Yet I am grateful. Well, I’d love to see Elite Beat customers return one day too. I take this with me on vacation, I find it addictive, meditative and quick to relax me. It’s playable on both the Switch and Switch 2, something that’s becoming increasingly rare in first-party Nintendo games. And it’s family-friendly enough — and ironic enough — to bring us together for a while, too.
