Nintendo has confirmed its long-anticipated Rhythm Heaven sequel, subtitled Rhythm Heaven Groove, will launch for Nintendo Switch on 2 July.
It’s the first game in the franchise in over a decade, following on from Rhythmn Heaven Megamix, launched for Nintendo 3DS in 2015.
Rhythm Heaven Groove gets release date – quick links
What to know about Rhythm Heaven Groove
What marks the Rhythm Heaven series out as unique is its devotion to toe-tapping musical beats. Across various levels, players must learn and flow with rhythms, then use these to button-mash at exactly the right time.
The first clip from Rhythm Heaven Groove reveals one challenge in the upcoming game: slicing and dicing vegetables, paying attention to the beat of a knife hitting a chopping board. To get into the flow and maintain rhythm, players are encouraged to bob their heads, tap their feet, or otherwise listen to the audio cues.
Other challenges shown off in the game’s reveal trailer include timing beats to ensure tiny little blob creatures can leap through hoops, guiding ducks across the skies, and skipping rope with an anthropomorphic bottle.
The Rhythm Heaven series is typically cutesy and adorable, but it’s also very challenging, particularly for those who aren’t musically-inclined, and have trouble listening to sound cues. Levels can be totally absorbing in the right circumstances, but you’ll need to work hard for that flow state.
The Rhythm Heaven formula has inspired many musical rhythm games
To understand the excitement around Rhythm Heaven Groove, it’s worth noting there’ve been many games in the musical rhythm genre directly inspired by the franchise, from bite-sized itch.io experiences to full-blown homages.
Just recently, Australian studio Tempo Lab Games released their own interpretation, Bits & Bops, which skilfully translates the formula into a bouncy, bright-eyed rhythm game. Like Rhythm Heaven, this title invites players to listen to musical sequences, and then perform on the beat to create a lovely, animated scene.
Of course, if you fail in Bits & Bops, you wind up with annoying little birds, nails bent out of shape, and sad fuzzy bears – so the encouragement is to keep trying, and to memorise the rhythm wherever possible.
Rhythm Heaven has a long legacy, with so many developers and gamers inspired by its uniquely challenging grooves. After years away, the upcoming Rhythm Heaven Groove should put the franchise back on the map, for a generation of nostalgic players, as well as an entirely new cohort.
Expect to see more of Rhythm Heaven Groove in the coming weeks.
Also on ScreenHub: IKEA announces Pokémon Pokopia collaboration
IKEA has announced a Pokémon Pokopia collaboration, which will take place both within the game and in select physical stores in Japan. According to the announcement from IKEA, the crossover celebrates how homes can ‘reflect the personality’ of their decorators.
The IKEA team has created a special ‘IKEA Island’ within Pokopia, which is accessible by all players. All you need to do is visit a PC in-game and use the Link Code to access it. For now, IKEA has not published the code, as it’s encouraging players to visit physical stores to find it – but we can expect to see this code popping up online in the coming days. Once you’re in, you’ll be able to explore IKEA-like rooms and exhibits.
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