Easter Island Moais, Square headed blue men playing table tennis, intergalactic space war, Japanese girl bands and the love rituals of lizard. If you had always dreamed of having these features all crammed into one game then read on. If you looked at that list and thought what the hell are you talking about you crazy weirdo… read on, it makes sense honest.
Rhythm Paradise is known as Rhythm Heaven in the US - Image by Cheesechick
If you hadn’t guessed by the title this is a rhythm action game we are talking about. Not your plastic instrument variety – no guitars, maracas or bongos in sight here - nor your insane button press combo variety – heck it doesn’t even use buttons - and no epic musical journeys to navigate through. Rhythm Paradise is rhythm action in its purest most simple form. The game only uses stylus control, and only three distinct stylus actions at that (tap, slide and flick) across a variety of short (3 minute max) tuneful games to test your tempo with.
The game starts off by presenting you with a single mini game. Complete this satisfactorily and you unlock the next and so on and so forth. Each stage is built of 5 different songs and a 6th final section that remixes aspects from the previous 5 into one constantly shifting mash-up of stylus wielding mayhem. Complete a set percent of any stage successfully and a new stage, and a new set of six challenges, will open up. There are 10 stages and 60 rhythmic challenges to beat.
Japanese Trailer
Each challenge starts off with a tutorial to get you used to the actions required and then it throws you into the tune proper. The tutorials help you understand what is to come but rarely do they prepare you for the ensuing tapping, flicking craziness. Some games ask you to play along to a tune, adding parts to it or following its cadence, others require a Simple Simon style call and response. The interactions with the songs are never easy on first play, requiring exact timing and often a decent memory. I’m not sure I ever passed a single challenge on my first go (but then again I am doddery old fool who can’t follow a beat and has a memory like a sieve) but they are never hard enough to make you think you couldn’t do better, always drawing you back for repeated tries until you finally pass muster. It is a great feeling when you get the game to stop pouring scorn on you. Many an expletive was uttered as failure once again harshly loomed but many an exalted fist was also punched as a particularly tricky rhythm was at last mastered (I’m looking at you stupid square headed table tennis guys).
The graphics are basic but have a loveable charm to them, especially as the scenarios are often so bizarre, and they do not detract from the game play at all. Where this type of game stumbles or strides is, of course, in the songs. RP definitely has its ten league boots on as the ditties, although short, are perfectly formed. Some have words, some are just melodies but they are all memorable and never grate upon repeated play. The tunes often drifted around in my head even when the DS was switched off and my general reaction to this was not one of annoyance but one of happiness as it meant my little grey cells were familiarising themselves with the tricky little buggers thus giving me a better chance of defeating them.
Rhythm Paradise reminds me of the Wario Ware series. Simplistic but entertaining graphics matched with short chunks of addictive gameplay. This game is a great pick up and play title that can sustain you for a short blast or a prolonged session. Once started though you will return over and over again. The world of Rhythm Paradise is a mad, catchy and infuriatingly addictive one that I heartily recommend. The fact that the game can be picked up for as little as a fiver (in the UK at least) means that you have no excuse not to go out and buy it now. 8/10
The story is hilarious and the gameplay is fun but hard.
Another recommendation is Taiko no Tatsujin DS. It was never localized but if you can get your hands on it, you'll enjoy it. It uses your DS as a drum.
The story is hilarious and the gameplay is fun but hard.
Another recommendation is Taiko no Tatsujin DS. It was never localized but if you can get your hands on it, you'll enjoy it. It uses your DS as a drum.
If you like Elite Beat Agents you should try the two Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan games. Elite Beat Agents was a much changed version of the first and the second is equally fun. They are both in Japanese but this doesn't detract from their enjoyability
