I’d like to think that I have rhythm. I did traditional Serbian Folklore dancing as a youth. While I am an introvert, I can shake my booty if necessary. But when it comes to rhythm games, they would tell me otherwise. Outside of the Nintendo DS version from 10+ years ago, I haven’t played much of the Rhythm Heaven series. As with other rhythm-based games, I’ve shied away because of my poor performance. I remember never getting past the first level of Um Jammer Lammy for the PSOne. But I wanted to give Rhythm Heaven Groove a chance. Even with my mistakes, I’m having a lot of fun.
A simple game that doesn’t feel that way
The concept behind the Rhythm Heaven series is simple. Hit the corresponding buttons in time with the actions on the screen. Audio plays a role in each puzzle, but it’s not the sole trigger. The music helps, but the on-screen items are what matter. For example, in one level, you have cans moving on a conveyor belt. You have to time your action so that the character you control hits the cans in a way that crushes them.
Mistime your button press, and you will either miss the can. Or, you might hit it, but not enough to squish it. If that happens, the can flies off the screen. There are two kinds of cans, and they also move at different cadences. The game will mix up the level so that it never feels automatic. You will have to pay attention to do the necessary action.
The Rhythm Heaven series shares many similarities with the WarioWare series. Like those games, you have a ton of different mini-games. While the sections here are longer, the concept is still about doing a quick action in time. For most, WarioWare is easy to grasp but hard to master. Here, it’s hard from the start and doesn’t get any easier.
Slow-paced but on purpose
Rhythm Heaven Groove feels like a reboot of the franchise. Again, my experience with the series starts and stops with the Nintendo DS game. I’ve wanted to play the Japan-exclusive Rhythm Tengoku. But the later releases on the Wii or 3DS were never on my radar.
It feels like a restart because the pacing feels slow on purpose. They make it easy for new players to learn the ropes. Each level includes a lengthy tutorial that explains the necessary actions. They ease you into the basics, then introduce one mechanic, followed by a second and sometimes a third. This is the case for every level I have played so far.
Sure, it’s helpful, but I wish they handled it better. I get that every level has a different approach and the timing changes. But part of the original charm of the series, from what I can remember, is learning through experience. Yes, that makes the stages harder, but it also adds to the game’s uniqueness.
Tons of content
The tutorials also make the game feel longer than necessary. Each one takes around 2-3 minutes to complete. Shorter or longer depending on how well you complete the necessary trials. Because of that, it takes a while to go through the promised 80+ stages that are available in the game.
At the moment, gone through the first 24 levels and completed six remix sections. The game rolls credits after you reach this point, but there is still more to the game. To reach this point, I’ve spent a good 4-5 hours with the game. It feels like the pacing is off because I’ve only unlocked a little more than a quarter of the 80 levels.
So far, I’ve only earned medals in four levels. You earn medals if you get an “Amazing” rating. Medals unlock extra content. Also, levels you reach “Amazing” also unlock a “perfect run” challenge. I haven’t managed to beat any of those.
There was only one level so far (the Stage 5 Remix) that gave me a hard time. Remix stages incorporate the previous four levels into a mashup of challenges. There is one level, a bug-catching one, that I struggled with a lot. So, the remix included that level, and it was hard for me to catch grasshoppers. Other than that, the game doesn’t pose too much of a challenge. I’m usually getting “Really Good!”
Having Fun
The key point here is that Rhythm Heaven Groove is a lot of fun. As I mentioned, because of how it eases you into every challenge, it’s designed for newcomers. If you’ve been hesitant to play these games, the tutorials do help a lot. Some of the music and stages I’ve encountered so far are a lot of fun. I have my early favorites, but I suspect I will discover many more.
