Rhythm Heaven is not one of Nintendo’s franchises that I know most people flock to or even recognize, but there is a small group who know it, and they’ll talk your ear off about it. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the series in any form, but that’s changing with the launch of Rhythm Heaven Groove this week.
While it has been some time since the series was out, Rhythm Heaven Groove is most definitely part of the series. The time between games had me questioning whether this game would be considered a reinvention of the series, but my concerns were quickly squashed as I sat down to complete a series of minigames that ranged from weird to fun to downright frustrating.
The series is also simplistic in nature, with nary a few buttons needed to grasp the basics, yet a sizeable amount of room to master the controls. However, learning to nail when to press the requisite button and hearing the audio cue is where the fun lies, as it provides a challenge that many will struggle with at first before finding their groove and finishing with a high score. I know that, for me, the fun was in becoming attuned to the specific frame I needed to watch for to get optimal performance from my minigame, and that’s where I found myself resonating most with this game.
Too Much Of Rhythm Heaven
The series is built around straightforward rhythm-based minigames, where players press buttons or tap the screen in sync with catchy music. The challenge lies in mastering precise timing rather than complex controls, making it easy to pick up but tough to perfect. The controls appear simple, beginning with a press here and a hold there before slowly amping up the concoction of button combos you need to remember. Later stages will throw you through a loop with more complex and challenging combinations to master.
And that’s where I believe people will struggle — mastering the minigames to get the best score. You’re graded based on rank, often depending on how well you kept to beat, with levels ranging from Keep Trying, Good, Really Good, and Amazing. However, you only need to earn a Good to progress to the next level. Earning an Amazing, though, provides you with medals that unlock new minigames and the Rhythm Toybox, where new games can be enjoyed. Rhythm Heaven Groove is split into single-player and multiplayer, with over 80 games you can play, and if that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is, but most are short, fun affairs that you’ll either come to love or hate.
Focusing on the single-player games for now, you’re given a stack of games you must complete before moving on to the next stack. You’ll be mostly focused on getting your timing right to get the highest score. Each game you play includes an example video showing exactly what must be done (and you should watch them) before offering up a short window to practice before heading to the actual minigame.
Some, like Ribbit Rocket, are better than others, like Disc Dog, which is one of the worst minigames I’ve ever played and absolutely one of the most infuriating experiences in recent memory. Anyway, the video examples show when to press the corresponding button to get the best score, but really, the best way to get the best score is to practice and keep playing to understand the timing of a minigame.
Earlier games like Hoop Trundling are simple but so much fun as you wait to hear ‘pa pi pu pe po’ before timing your jump on the last beat to clear the hurdle. Then there’s one of my personal favourites, called Pop, Don’t Drop, where you pop what looks like little pink and blue marbles off an assembly line while ensuring none fall to the floor. Or most Remix levels, which see a stack of levels combined with interspersed snippets of the various levels played back to you over a vocal track that really gives you a proper challenge of remembering each minigame’s mechanics to get a proper score.
The minigame variety is impressive
I wasn’t sure how much variation we’d see in Rhythm Heaven Groove’s minigames, but the variety is welcome. The earlier games are challenging, but I find that they actually helped prepare me for later minigames. I was left impressed by how each game is well thought out and fun, keeping you anchored in each minute as you work through the motions.
The challenge isn’t just matching the rhythm, though; you’re constantly thrown obstacles that obscure your vision and are meant to break your streaks. Take Disc Dog, for example, I was finally able to get into a groove with catching the frisbee and was ready to catch the next one coming my way. To my surprise, though, the camera panned into the woman throwing the frisbee, which completely eviscerated my streak and caused me to miss a bunch of throws.
In another, you might have an aluminum soda can obstructing your character, who’s currently bouncing fruit into a hole, or in another, like Fruit Flex has you bouncing apples and lemons off your biceps, only for the view to move from behind you to in front of you. The camera shift made me lose focus, and I went from nailing every beat to fumbling several apples.
Beatspell is a standout game that you’ll want to work toward quickly unlocking. It’s essentially an RPG game where you battle monsters through caves. As you progress through the caves, you’ll fight stronger monsters while still progressing to the beat of the music. You have several spells, and each one centres on a different beat you must master. Pressing the corresponding button might cast an elemental spell, like fire, or you can use cure to heal health.
The more you succeed, the better your spells become with stronger attributes to match. It’s a surprising addition to Rhythm Heaven Groove, but it’s an absolute standout in the game that I feel really nails the magic of the series.
Multiplayer is a blast if you can gather a group together for some shenanigans. On one level, you each work at plucking hairs from a massive onion, while on another, you work at blasting moving targets with your lasers in a bid to reach the designated goal first. These games are usually pretty short, but they’re some of the most fun I’ve had in the 20 hours I’ve played through the single-player and multiplayer portions.
You also have the choice to pick between co-op or competitive games, like the Ninja game, where you work together to prevent incoming arrows from hitting you. With every swing being timed to the beat, it becomes increasingly harder to hit each arrow, but again, the challenge lies in perfecting your timing to earn the highest score amongst your group. And by the end of the round, you can even see who let the most arrows pass through the defences.
Ultimately, I enjoyed my time with Rhythm Heaven Groove. Having lain dormant since Rhythm Heaven Fever, the series shares a lot of DNA with the WarioWare games, with some of the most insane minigames I’ve experienced in ages. I’m only disappointed it took Nintendo so long to revive the series because it’s a lot of fun, albeit sometimes frustrating, dealing with some of the minigame requirements.
Verdict
Rhythm Heaven Groove has a lot going on, with over 80 minigames, tons of bizarre moments, and a whole lot of heart. The series itself feels like it hasn’t changed much, but that’s exactly why I find it so endearing; it’s basically the same sort of experience that permeates through the Nintendo ecosystem, and one that I feel rightfully celebrates the return of Rhythm Heaven. The series is timeless and remains a franchise that fans often clamour over online. Thankfully, this entry is diverse and memorable, with so many fun minigames to keep you busy despite a couple of frustrating additions that do not exude the same joy as the rest of the game offers.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: Switch 2
