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Review: Rhythm Heaven (DS)
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By taking a quick glance at the box art or a screen shot, it's easy to see how one may pass up on Rhythm Heaven or chalk it up as a kiddie game. But don't let yourself fall into that trap. Rhythm Heaven offers a fun and engaging music game that anyone can enjoy.
The game play is simple - gamers use the stylus to perform whatever action is required to complete one of the many mini games. The mini games are very short, lasting only a few minutes, and are accompanied by music that is catchy, but timing and beats are also used to determine when actions need to be performed. Since the music is a huge part of the game, some players who aren't rhythmically inclined may have some problems. The caption on the box says "tap into the rhythm", and the game sticks true to those words.
For the most part, the mini games are fun and well thought out. The sound track tends to go great with the mini game it's attached to, and you'll find yourself tapping your foot to the rhythm and beats throughout the game. If, for some reason, you are intimidated by these types of games, don't be. Before each mini game, Rhythm Heaven offers a little practice session so you won't be walking into any of the games blindly. The practice sessions can be a bit lengthy, but once you feel that you've got the general gist of things you can skip past the practice session . But as much as I wanted to like everything about the game, the game play did have a few quirks that bothered me as I played through it..
First off is the stylus-only input method. I can understand how the developers wanted to make use of the touchscreen, but there were a few mini games that may have been easier or more comfortable to play through using a button instead of the stylus. You'll also notice that Rhythm Heaven utilizes the "book mode" of the DS. At first you may think that the idea is pretty cool, and it kind of is, but there have been too many times that it was uncomfortable to hold the DS in "book mode" for extended periods of time.
The other issue I ran across while playing Rhythm Heaven was the difficulty level changed somewhat dramatically. As enjoyable as some of the mini games were, there were others where I had to just put the DS down and walk away. Frustrating is the first word that comes to mind. They are definitely do-able with practice, but boy did I need a lot of practice on some of them. But at the same time it's good to see some real challenges packed inside of Rhythm Heaven.
Although the game has its annoyances to it (and what game doesn't?), it's very addicting and unique. There may have been times that I found myself frustrated with a few of the mini games, but that still didn't stop me from tackling them until I unlocked the next level. I absolutely loved the graphics and style that was given to Rhythm Heaven, I feel it plays a huge part in the overall charm and appeal. Rhythm Heaven is one of those games that you'll love playing one minute, and possibly get frustrated with the next. But don't give up! From its stylus-only input method to the addicting pick-up-and play game style, this is a game that fits perfectly on the Nintendo DS platform.
Overall Score: 8/10
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