As someone who’s been making music since his early teens, I tend to overestimate my abilities a bit when it comes to rhythm games. Then, along comes a title like Rhythm Heaven Groove that really puts me in my place.
In a 1990s garage band, your repertoire is straight four on the floor, in the pocket, uncomplicated. In Rhythm Heaven Groove, however, you’ll experience everything from J-Pop to power metal, from fills and accent beats to tempo shifts and polyrhythms. The trick is that Groove makes everything so fun, so loud and colorful and so much larger than life, that you don’t really even mind the occasional whiff.
Available now for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, Rhythm Heaven Groove, the fifth installment in the franchise, challenges players to press buttons in time with the beat—a feat that’s sometimes easier said than done—across scores of minigames. From simple single-button inputs to alternating rhythmic pairings, there’s a beautiful simplicity to its diabolical challenge.
This time around, there’s also a text-to-speech assistant, a digital narrator who sets the stage for each of your random rhythm activities (in addition to reminding you about how not properly adjusting for TV delay and that using wireless headphones can interfere with the game’s razor-thin margin for error). There are three levels to this read-aloud setting, including toggling it off completely, but I actually found this creepy robot girl’s voice added to the outright surrealism of the Rhythm Heaven experience.
From the game’s main menu—a strangely sterile and muted interface that’s probably my only real knock against the title—you can choose to “Play with Friends” to enter a dedicated multiplayer mode. This gridded dashboard includes options to register and set player names, as well as choose from a variety of classic Nintendo rhythm game setups. You know, ninjas, unlikely sports scenarios, and that overly hairy onion—all the classics. The more you play, the more minigames become available, with ample co-op and versus options to suit your party gaming needs.
The main offering, though, remains “Play Solo.” This mode slowly reveals four separate themed minigames per level, from making a dog jump to catch a soaring frisbee to launching frogs off a lily pad to concealing ghosts from a sneezing moon. (Yes, these are all things you’re expected to do in Rhythm Heaven Groove!) Advance through each minigame in a level, and you’re treated to a remix, a more elaborate production combining elements of the four previous activities.
For the rhythm-challenged like myself, Groove provides ample opportunities to practice before each game kicks off in earnest. You can also hold down the Y button to get a look at examples of proper timing, which I found particularly helpful.
Your performance is, of course, graded, although I’d say that Rhythm Heaven Groove goes out of its way to not hurt your feelings. I was often assured that my ranking for a minigame was good or even really good when it obviously was not. The player is also given an overall score for “Flow,” that being a mastery of rhythm. (Mine spent a lot of time in the high 70s, making me a “Rhythm Novice.”)
The minigame rank you’re looking for here is amazing, which denotes a perfect or near-perfect performance and also nets you a coveted medal. Medals are used to unlock new items in the game’s Rhythm Toy Box, an ever-growing collection of low-stress games and rhythm quizzes that even includes a neat little step sequencer.
Medals also unlock new chapters in Beatspell, a rhythm-based RPG where your spell attacks and buffs are tied to the same timed button presses as Rhythm Heaven Groove‘s core gameplay. While not super fleshed out, this was my single favorite element in the game, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised to see it pop up in future series entries or even as its own dedicated experience.
Visually, Groove‘s various minigames are bold, bright, and uncluttered. The title isn’t exactly a visual powerhouse (especially compared to some of the other recent releases I’ve been playing on my Nintendo Switch 2), but everything is certainly fun and evocative. More importantly, the musical selections in Rhythm Heaven Groove have truly taken on a life of their own. This is especially apparent in the remix levels, where the songs are big, beautiful, poppy compositions that draw you in and make you want to really nail those button inputs.
Rhythm Heaven Groove also makes it easy for you to revisit your favorite songs (Sound Studio), rewatch examples of proper timing in minigames (Video Examples), and explore so much more via its main menu. That sad, uninspired little main menu…
Still, with great original music, ridiculously charming minigames, tons of unlockables, and the quirky perfection that is Beatspell, Rhythm Heaven Groove is easy to love and hard to resist. Especially at the bargain price point of $39.99!
Things are heating up outside, and Rhythm Heaven Groove represents the perfect way to inject a little rhythm and whimsy into your indoor summer activities. So grab the demo and see if you have what it takes to get into the groove.
Review materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. How am I still so bad at Hop, Stop N Roll?!
