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Rhythm Heaven
Tap into the Rhythm
It may not look like much but
Nintendo’s Rhythm Heaven is one of the best DS games that I have played
all year on this console.
So what exactly is Rhythm Heaven?
The core
gameplay mechanics revolve around a variety of music and rhythm based
mini-games that flawlessly use the innate control system of the DS as
you get in touch with your inner beat. You basically use your stylus,
fingers and the buttons of the DS to play a variety of interesting and
quirky mini-games, 50 to be exact. The whacky and catchy music only make
the experience even more enjoyable.
The most unusual aspect of Rhythm Heaven is
the way that you hold the console and unlike traditional games, you need
to hold the console like a book in order to properly play the title.
Truly some unique and strange Japanese gaming at its best.
In terms of strangeness, one
mini-game requires you to hold the stylus to the screen and lift it away
when the character is required to sing with the player being prompted by
two other singers and the conductor. Bizarre? A little… fun? Definitely.
Fortunately the title contains a small tutorial to assist with the
basics of the title and from there, the gamer is on their own.
The
control system of the game is rather apt which uses a mixture of the
touch screen and button layout of the console to test your skills. It's
interesting how the developers have managed to incorporate the rhythm
aspect into all their games, even the space invader clone on this title.
The games in Rhythm Heaven are accessed by a nifty menu system and
simply by selecting the game, it’s time to test your rhythm skills.
It should be noted that not all the games are based in the music world and
some are quite bizarre such as Crop Stomp which has you playing as a
farmer who is harvesting “beets”. Apart from rhythm the game also
requires some decent reflexes which only assists in the overall gaming
experience.
From ping pong to Ninjas, Rhythm Heaven
targets not only the casual gamer but also hardcore gamers due to the
variety of each game. Of course not all games are perfect and some are
hit and miss but in general, most succeed. For the more professional
gamer, they will not be satisfied until they achieve one of five scores
in the game from “Try Again” to “Perfect”.
Obviously in order to
proceed in the game and unlock more mini-games and bonuses, you need to
score a passable score. By trying to beat your score or achieving the
sometimes impossible “Perfect”, you’ll unlock a variety of medals with
interactive trinkets.
Graphically, the title is quite Spartan at
the best of times, however is quite colourful and features some standard
Nintendo DS characters that suits the genre. Of course, the sound and
music is the star of the game and even though much of it is MIDI
inspired, it’s quite boppy to listen to.
Although the game is reminiscent of WarioWare in terms of playability
and content, Rhythm Heaven’s simplicity is the key to success and
without trying to be too clever, Nintendo have once again redefined
enjoyable gaming for the masses. Perfect for 5 minutes or 5 hours! |
