Rhythm Heaven

Rhythm Heaven
"Thank you verrrrry much!" — The Band Leader
Genre(s): Music/Rhythm Game Platform(s): Nintendo DS Release Date: JP: July 31, 2008 NA: April 5, 2009 EU: May 1, 2009 AU: June 4, 2009 Developer(s): TNX, Inc. Nintendo SPD Publisher(s): Nintendo Country: Japan Series: Rhythm Heaven Predecessor: Rhythm Tengoku Successor: Rhythm Heaven Fever

Rhythm Heaven, known in Japan as Rhythm Tengoku Gold, is a rhythm game developed by Nintendo SPD and TNX, Inc., and published by Nintendo, for the Nintendo DS. It is the second game in the Rhythm Heaven series, and the first one to be released outside of Japan.

Why It Taps Into the Rhythm

1. The same rhythm-based gameplay from the previous game returns in this one, this time taking full advantage of the DS's Touch Screen to play the game while the DS (or 3DS) is held vertically.
   • The flicking mechanic, while it may seem intimidating and hard to use at first, becomes easier once you settle into it and is often used creatively, such as flicking rods into widgets in Built to Scale, hitting back ping-pong balls in Rhythm Rally, etc.
2. Creative selection menu that can be steered using the center button to scroll around the games, while the games themselves are contained inside shutter-like devices that contain a GO button.
3. Many of the minigames are fun to play, just like its predecessor, including:
   • Built to Scale (the first game)
   • Glee Club
   • Fillbots
   • Fan Club
   • Shoot-'em-Up
   • Blue Birds
   • Love Lizards
   • The Dazzles
   • Munchy Monk
   • DJ School
   • Love Lab
   • Frog Hop
   • Lockstep
   • Space Soccer
4. The new cast of characters are just as likable and colorful as their predecessors, with many new faces such as the Chorus Kids, the Pop Singer and her monkey Fan Club, Captain Duck and the Blue Birds, the Dazzles, the Love Scientists, the Frogettes and their Band Leader (who is also the host of the game), and especially DJ Yellow (who has hilarious vocal cues to let his student know what to do).
   • One member of The Clappy Trio is also the conductor for the Chorus Kids after he became a Clappy Soloist, and Karate Joe returns in this game's Karate Man (also known as Karate Man Kicks!).
5. After beating Remix 6, the way the credits are utilized is interesting, being placed on top of the Airboarder minigame that can be played in the main menu later, and then showing the Character Roll Call using the menu theme before the sequel games are unlocked.
6. The music, once again composed by the games' creator Tsunku♂, is excellent and fun to dance along to so you can follow the rhythm. The vocal songs ("Thrilling! Is This Love?", "Love Ooh Ooh Paradise", "Young Love Rock 'n Roll", and "Struck by the Rain") are also fun to sing along to, despite the English lyrics of the former two being hit-or-miss.
   • Many of the Remixes in this game have a different genre of music to them, such as calypso (Remix 2), spaghetti western (Remix 3), rock 'n roll (Remix 5), synthpop (Remix 6), etc.
7. Besides the rhythm games themselves, many new Rhythm Toys and Endless Games can be unlocked via the Medals you obtain with Superb ranks. Some of these include a Business Card, a Phone to call various in-game characters (including the Rap Men from the previous game), Tunnel (in which you ding a cowbell to the rhythm while driving), Rhythmove Dungeon (where you tap to the beat to get through a dungeon), Samurai Slice (where you play as the same Wandering Samurai from the previous game's version of Samurai Slice while chopping various items in half to gain money), etc.
   • Also, you can unlock more supplementary materials such as stories or music by Going for a Perfect. Some of the stories also contain Phone Numbers so you can call the characters.
8. Once you complete Rockers and Rockers 2, you then unlock Guitar Lessons so you can learn how to play the songs in the game via the Rockers minigame.
9. Huge replay value, due to having 50 rhythm games to get Medals and Go For a Perfect from, as well as the Endless Games, Rhythm Toys, Guitar Lessons, and supplementary materials that are gained from these.

Bad Qualities

1. It can take some time to get used to the flicking controls, as it won't register an action if it's done too slowly.
2. Some bad rhythm games, including Rhythm Rally 2 (aka Cosmic Rhythm Rally), Big Rock Finish, Fillbots 2, Rockers 2 (the only rhythm game to use any sort of buttons, in this case R (for right-handed players) or L (for lefties)), and most infamously, Remix 8.
3. Collecting all of the Medals is kind of pointless, since all you get from collecting the last third of them is more Guitar Lessons.
4. None of the remixes contain a vocal theme; this is the only game in the series to have this distinction.

Reception

Rhythm Heaven received generally positive reviews from both critics and players (scoring 83/100 and 8.1/10, respectively, on Metacritic), with praise directed at the soundtrack, clever use of the Touch Screen, art style, and addictive gameplay, while minor criticism was directed at the hit-or-miss English lyrics for the vocal songs.

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