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GoNintendo '��End of Day'�� thoughts - Quick and Dirty review: Rhythm Heaven

by rawmeatcowboy
11 April 2009
GN 1.0 / 2.0

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Why not kick off the weekend with a review, right?! Should be something fun to read/debate while I’m off counting sheep. Speaking of that, I think they’ve already started jumping their fence. I’ll see you all in a few, short hours.

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I never thought that North America would see a localized version of Rhythm Tengoku Gold. That’s precisely the reason I imported the game as soon as it launched in Japan. I love music games almost as much as I love quirky games, which makes RTG the perfect title for me. Much like Ouendan, I felt importing was my only option if I was going to enjoy what RTG had to offer. Once again, I happened to be wrong.

Against all odds, Rhythm Tengoku Gold has indeed been localized. It’s been given the name Rhythm Heaven, and it even has the star power of Beyonce promoting it. Looks like Nintendo thinks the game could do big business here. It’s certainly done so in Japan, and the nearly 2 million units sold are probably why we now have the game in North America. I don’t know that Rhythm Heaven will reach the same sales heights here, but it certainly deserves to.


What Works

The controls: Nintendo included a touch screen on the DS in order to open up gaming to new opportunities, and new gamers as well. Expanded audience players need to be eased into games, and touching something is a lot easier to understand than pressing a corresponding button. With that said, Rhythm Heaven may be one of the simplest games to grace the DS. There are only three controls for the game…touch/hold the screen, tap the screen, flick your stylus across the screen. With so little to remember, there’s next to no barrier for entry of newcomers.

Simple ideas: I wasn’t worried about language issues when importing RTG. I had heard that the game was extremely simple to understand, even for guys like me that don’t read/speak a word of Japanese. Having absolutely zero idea of what the game was telling me, I managed to work through every single portion of the game. The music tied with on-screen hints during training sessions are more than enough to teach you how to play. I even had family and friends play the Japanese version, and they too had no issues. Simply put, no matter what language you’re playing Rhythm Heaven in, you should be able to understand all it offers without any trouble.

The music: This is a music game, so the music needs to be extremely catchy. Keep in mind that we aren’t dealing with a fully licensed soundtrack like we get from Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Rhythm Heaven is almost 100% original music, and I can’t think of any tunes that I don’t like. The warehouse has been filled with people humming/singing songs for days now. I was doing the same with the Japanese version, and now the English version has made it happen all over again. When you have a game that needs you to stay with the rhythm, it always helps to have music that flows well!

Inventive: As I mentioned above, there are hardly any methods of input. That’s why I am still perplexed as to how Nintendo managed to make such a vast variety of games to play. While all the musical games included feature the same controls, it’s the songs and objectives that keep things fresh. You’ll be playing the part of a DJ, picking vegetables from a garden, playing Ping-Pong, shooting down asteroids, mixing chemicals in a lab, snapping pictures of race cars…and that’s just the start of it. Each musical challenge comes with it’s own story, song, and charming visuals. Trust me, you are not going to find yourself getting bored.

Unlockables: Rhythm Heaven is a game that’s ridiculously easy to understand, but very hard to master. You are going to have to really focus with some of the later challenges that pop up. Harder variations of earlier games, and instances that ask you to play songs 100% perfectly will have you sweating until the last beat. No worries though…you’ll be handsomely rewarded for all of your hard work with all sorts of goodies. New mini-games, time-killers, information and side-stories for the various challenges…there’s plenty to come back for.

Fine-tuned: You know what will make you feel like the ultimate (gaming) badass? Being able to play all the Rhythm Heaven challenges with your eyes closed. The music is 100% spot-on with what you have to do. Once you really, really get a hang for the game, you’ll be able to play challenges without even looking at the screen. There’s nothing more satisfying than getting a perfect on a challenge when you’ve used nothing but your audio hints.


What Doesn’t Work

Localizations: I don’t want to go trashing all of the localized elements of Rhythm Heaven. For the most part, its a very tight package. With that said, there are a few songs that have lost some of their luster when compared to the original Japanese versions. This is such a small nitpick, and it’s only really for those of us that imported the Japanese version. English-only players won’t have a thing to complain about. For those that imported, I’m sure you know what I mean.

Frustration: This is another complaint that I pull in from the pile of straws I’m grasping at. I personally love the challenge the game offers, especially once you start getting to the higher difficulties…but I know that’s not for everyone. I just know that the gameplay is going to do a fantastic job at pissing some people off. Trust me…if you find yourself having trouble with song after song, don’t get mad at the game. You’re going to have to realize someday soon that you lack rhythm!


The Quick and Dirty

There is only one reason to avoid Rhythm Heaven. If you don’t like music games, you probably won’t like this. Even so, the game is so damn good that I urge you to check it out anyway. It might be the title to flip your perspective on the genre. For all the other gamers out there, this is a title that needs to be in your library. Go out and grab it, find yourself a pair of headphones, and get ready for one of the most satisfying gaming experiences you’ve had in a long time.


Rhythm Heaven gets a 9.1 out of 10