In 2002, a tech demo for a drum kit on the Game Boy Advance slowly began to take shape as another project with much loftier ambitions. After working on the WarioWare series, developer Kazuyoshi Osawa proposed his idea for a rhythm game that relied on music rather than visuals for timing. After two years of thought, testing, and building, the proposal that took shape in 2004 eventually became 2006’s Rhythm Tengoku. 20 years later, the Rhythm Heaven franchise is a cult favorite. Its newest entry, Rhythm Heaven Groove, is everything you could want from a modern version of this series, albeit without a few things that could have made it all the more addictive.

Set to wonderful original music from longtime series composer Tsunku, Rhythm Heaven Groove continues the series with its core gameplay elements intact. Across 80 single-player rhythm minigames and 30 multiplayer rhythm minigames, you input simple button and analog stick moves to the beat of catchy songs as silly animations and cartoons play out on screen. I mean, look above. Pictured are little blobs with legs, and all you do is jump to the beat as you control the last one through oncoming hoops. It doesn’t exactly sound like a captivating time, but combined with a room full of friends and some easy-going expectations for what this is, I think it nails the fun factor.

As you progress through the game and unlock the minigames in groups, you can also experience them in a variety of alternate modes. None stands out more than Beatspell, the RPG-like experience where you cast spells by playing the game to move through a dungeon. It’s a blast just seeing friends that might not be all that rhymically inclined or video game-fluent try these games out. It’s almost like they’re the ideal market for this entry in the series. It’s never been easier to get into Rhythm Heaven than with the beginner-friendly approach Groove takes to onboarding players and giving them a fun toy box in which to explore.

A few things leave Rhythm Heaven Groove off of the must-purchase tier of Nintendo titles, however. For starters, while the cartoons and visuals taking place aren’t the main element of the game you’re meant to hone in on, I do think they leave a little to be desired. There’s a good use of color, and plenty of humorous scenarios got a chuckle out of me, but overall, it’s a bit underwhelming. The music is just so good, I wish there were something a bit more captivating happening on-screen to match how good this game sounds. Of course, it’s not the purpose of the game, and I can live with that.

Another downside to Groove’s direction is the fact that while this is the first game in a decade for the series, I don’t think the core audience is necessarily newcomers. A lot of people might see this and think it’s just a bit of eShop filler if they didn’t know it was a Nintendo-developed title. For that reason, similar to Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, released earlier this year, also as a Switch 1 title and not exclusive to Nintendo’s newest console, this feels like a game for hardcore fans who have clamored for Rhythm Heaven since the start. With all of that said, I don’t think this game offers enough to feed that fanbase in terms of inventiveness or difficulty.

The games are fairly simple and easy, and it’s not like I was expecting some controller-clinching experience. Still, some of the games simply end after the music stops with little conclusion, and with relatively easy-to-learn controls, it would have been fun to see more in the shape of real challenges. Still, I can’t say the lackluster visuals or easy gameplay take away one bit from how fun this was to play with a group. Even for those not taking a turn on the controller, we all felt like this was the perfect way to kill an hour or so on a game night.

For people eager to be wowed by a game like Rhythm Heaven Groove, I don’t think this is the total package. This isn’t even probably my favorite game in the series, which is likely the 3DS’s Rhythm Heaven Megamix. Still, this feels like an essential game to have in my Switch library for its lighthearted pick-up-and-play mechanics. It’s likely to be in rotation for a while when playing games with family or friends. I think we’re just below the threshold of this being an all-time party game for the Switch, but it’s a fun way to enjoy some great music and play out some silly scenarios with a group.

A Nintendo Switch review code for Rhythm Heaven Groove was provided by Nintendo for this review.

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Rhythm Heaven Groove

39.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Wonderful original music that's a blast to groove to
• A great assortment of minigames
• A good take on this game 20 years after its inception

Cons

• Visuals and cartoons are a little underwhelming
• There needs to be a bit more of a difficulty spike for those who want it