N-Philes

REVIEW: Rhythm Heaven

Posted April 21st 2009 by Jacob Barnes.

The Nintendo DS is home to a heap of rhythm and music games such as Electroplankton, Drum Master and the Ouendan/Elite Beat Agent series. It's no surprise to see creative rhythm games like these when smart developers use the stylus in a way that is not just for navigating through menus. Unfortunately for fans of the genre like myself, we don't see nearly enough of these games localized outside of Japan. So after the two plus year wait, the DS version of Rhythm Heaven came as a welcome addition to my collection after hearing of the popularity of the series in Japanese arcades and the Game Boy Advance.

Rhythm Heaven doesn't waste any time throwing you into the game. You'll notice there are no options or intro story, just a screen full of unlockable quirky minigames. Learning to play should be simple for most people since every game only requires a combination of flicking, tapping or sliding of the stylus. The deviation comes in the way you hold the handheld sideways like a book. I think this is a good choice since the vertical flicking motion requires room, although the viewing angle is slightly awkward when on a flat surface.



Completing a mini-game to unlock a new one may take a few tries, depending on one's natural sense of rhythm.  And I'm wondering why there wasn't any difficulty options includes in this. The tutorials at the beginning of each level sound a little vague in plain words before delving into the stage itself. In DJ School a yellow DJ instructs you to tap and hold the stylus when he says "ooh" and flick it when he says "hey". And you'll probably wonder what the hell he's talking about. But once you have the rhythm of the song down in the game and the image of two DJs at the turntables, then all you have to do is stop and scratch the record as the yellow DJ moves with you.

Speaking of beats, there are some cool tunes in this game. The songs have translated decently for anyone who has previously played the Japanese version, Rhythm Tengoku Gold. A few of the singers and song lyrics feel uninspired though. This could be due to the localization team taking the literal translation of each song, or not putting any effort into it. The song "Thrilling! Is this love?" in Fan Club starts off with the words "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Hey now, here is my song. For you, yeah, that's right." There's also a variety of non-lyrical tunes with some rock and pop elements. Love Lab features a catchy R&B untexted vocalization that could be mistaken for a Boys II Men song. Perhaps they did sing the vocals for it. I don't know what they've been doing the past decade.


As vital as music is in a game like this, it's important to rely on the visuals too. I'm actually hesitant to say that because while some mini-games do rely on both visual and musical cues, others are easier to complete when closing your eyes and listening to the beat. The mini-game Lock Step features dual tone characters that zoom in and out throughout the game which is distracting. In Rhythm Rally, a table tennis game, you have to hit the ball right before it touches your character's body. The natural reaction would be to swing at the ball as it comes toward you. So you have to find a balance between watching what's on the screen and listening to the music. The graphics are decent, but certainly not pushing what the system is capable of. The quirky 2-D character design makes up for some of that though.



Rhythm Heaven is not a long game, but one that should be played in short intervals over time. Completing the first 30 normal rhythm games can be finished in one sitting if you have a knack for this. Rhythm Heaven encourages players to get a perfect score in each mini-game to unlock little bonuses in The Café and Medal Corner. In The Café you can read characters' memoirs that give some cute story behind the game or listen to music. The Medal Corner is like the Toy Room in the Wario Ware series with fewer toys, some of which feel like rejected games. Some of these rhythm toys feel like they were created for the sake of being quirky, like playing with a business card. Others, such as Samurai Slice, could keep players entertained for hours.

I think rhythmically gifted players will find themselves in Rhythm Heaven playing through this, while casual players will remain stuck in Rhythm Hell. And I sympathize for some of those people and the younger audience who may have fallen for the game with its mainstream advertising. I mean, Beyoncé looks like she's having so much fun as she stabs at that poor little DSi in her commercial. If you're the type of person who wants a challenging game that requires precision, then Rhythm Heaven provides for a solid experience. This is not to say that other rhythm games can't be just as challenging, but here it seems to overcompensate a little too much for the actual gameplay.

Tags: Rhythm Heaven, Nintendo-DS

Posted in: Reviews, Gaming

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