Rhythm Heaven Groove

There’s no rhythm game quite like Rhythm Heaven, and Groove is a triumphant return for a series that has been gone for far too long. It's one of the only rhythm games to truly bring music and gameplay together, and it's fantastic.

Rhythm Paradise Groove is a classic Rhythm Paradise game: colorful, fun, and musically outstanding, keeping you glued to the screen until you’ve completed every single minigame. Yet, setting aside the welcome additions, I expected a little something more—especially after waiting so many years for a new installment. I wanted something that would satisfy both my completionist streak and my emotional side. As it stands, however, it remains nothing more than an incredible, beautiful toy.

Rhythm Heaven Groove delivers a double album's worth of content, including a bumpin' new collection of minigames, a fully fleshed-out multiplayer option, mini RPG mode, and various other quirky odds and ends. The game's idiosyncratic approach to the rhythm genre means your experience may be somewhat uneven -- you'll like some minigames more than others -- but most folks will find plenty here to get their hearts beating.

Rhythm Heaven Groove isn’t the kind of game that will generate a lot of buzz or make headlines, but it’s precisely the kind of game that helps the Nintendo side of gaming achieve its own unique charm. In an era of widespread cynicism and creative stagnation in the gaming industry, this game embodies all the brilliance and eccentricity of video games’ golden age.

Rhythm Paradise Groove confirm all the series' long-standing strengths, translating the concept of rhythm into a collection of distinctly Japanese minigames that are irresistibly absurd. While its nature doesn't lend itself to long sessions, it is perfect for the quick, casual bursts of play that often define a gamer's summer, thanks to its simplicity without, however, being trivial in its game design. Nintendo has decided to remain faithful to the established formula of the series - with "Beatspell" serving as the new addition here - but then again, why go to the trouble of changing something that has proved to work so well?

Groove's tracklist feels inspired and the Japanese songs are especially good, though I expect criticism in some countries where localised lyrics were part of the charm. But the game feels as funny as ever, with its cast full of the usual suspects (naturally frogs, robots, aliens and the occasional hairy onion imported from WarioWare). It might not be peak like 3DS' Megamix with its unbeatable selection and the good 'ol stylus touch controls, but it's the best entry for new-newcomers, provides more ways to play than ever, and introduces the most engaging multiplayer mode so far.

Anyone who enjoys timing-based minigame collections might well find something to like in "Rhythm Paradise Groove." However, significant latency issues in TV mode, merely functional graphics, and limited content – combined with a steep price tag – make it impossible to offer a general recommendation for this Switch title.

An absolutely fantastic addition to the franchise. Countless hours of fun to be had here either alone or with friends. Charming, challenging & unforgettable. 10/10

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

After ten years without a new entry, Rhythm Heaven Groove marks a welcome return, but not the leap forward the series needed. Like Super Mario Party for Mario Party, it offers a fresh restart with plenty of content on paper, yet lacks consistency and real depth. Its solo games remain charming and well-designed, while multiplayer gives the series its strongest new dimension. Still, repetitive modes, weaker music, uneven visuals, and underwhelming menus hold it back. Groove is fun, quirky, and solid, but it does not redefine Rhythm Heaven.

As a longtime Rhythm Heaven fan who has played every entry in the series, I am deeply disappointed by Rhythm Heaven: Miracle Stars. I tried to push through until Chapter 12, but I eventually had to stop. It felt too long, too repetitive, and simply not enjoyable. After waiting around ten years for a new game, I honestly expected much better. My biggest issue is that the game does not feel like a proper evolution of Rhythm Heaven. The visual style looks cheap and underdeveloped compared with the DS and Wii entries, which had much more charm, personality, and polish. Many stages feel like only a few flat layers moving repeatedly, with very limited character animation. Some scenes even look like simple static images being reused instead of properly animated sequences. For a series known for its expressive and playful presentation, this is a huge step down. The music is even more disappointing. For a rhythm game, the music should be one of the strongest elements, but most of the new tracks feel bland, forgettable, and sometimes genuinely unpleasant to listen to. I can still hum many songs from the DS and Wii games from memory, and some of those tracks were so good that I replayed stages just to hear them again. In this game, very few tracks left any impression on me. The arrangements lack energy, emotion, and the catchy quality that made the older games so memorable. The stage ideas and small details also feel much weaker than before. Rhythm Heaven used to be full of strange, clever, and hilarious concepts. In this game, only a few stages stood out to me, such as the alien conversation stage and the sneezing moon stage. Most of the others felt forgettable, uninspired, or as though they were relying on shallow nostalgia rather than strong new ideas. I often found myself criticizing the stages while playing instead of enjoying them. I also cannot understand the extremely high review scores from some outlets, such as IGN’s 9 out of 10. From the perspective of a longtime fan, this does not feel like a 9 out of 10 game at all. The older entries, especially the DS and Wii games, had better music, a stronger visual identity, more memorable stage concepts, and a much more satisfying rhythm experience. I waited many years for a new Rhythm Heaven, but this entry made me reinstall emulators on my tablet and play the DS and Wii games instead. For me, that says everything. As a longtime fan, this is one of the most disappointing Nintendo releases I have played in a long time.

really stupid and not good you can't just get perfect in the level you'd have to randomly decide that you can attempt perfect and then you get three chances and then you may never get a chance to do it again unless it randomly decides to. lame. has no respect for players time.