Rhythm Paradise

Today it’s time for a review of an older DS game I used to play called Rhythm Paradise; also known as Rhythm Heaven outside of Europe or Rhythm Tengoku Gold in Japan. Released in 2009, it is, as you can probably guess from the title, a rhythm game.


The aim of the game is that in each level, there is a different scenario in which you need to make an action happen by tapping the screen in time to the rhythm. Failure to tap, or tapping out of time, affects the score given at the end of each level and can result in failure. After completing 4 levels, you are given a bonus remix level of the previous 4 levels. A bonus of this game is the different end scores you can get:

- Failure
- Just OK, being the lowest passing score
- OK
- Superb

There is also an option every now and then, in which the game will ask if you wish to try for a “perfect” score, where any missed beat is a failure. This will only be asked if you have already achieved “superb” on said level.

Something I found disappointing, however, is that some of the levels seem to be repeated later on in the game. This lends an incomplete feel to the whole thing, as well as making the levels in question feel like place-holders, at least to me. If this had been done with all levels, then it would have made a lot more sense, but the levels are extremely fun for any age group, nontheless. The game also includes a few mini-games, of which a few are reminiscent of the game's main levels, while others are stand alone mini-games named in game as “rhythm toys”.


The graphics in the game are very simplistic, which is great for a game where you need to focus on the rhythm of the music being played. Fancy layouts with lots of detail would completely deter the player from the task at hand, which, for myself, is kind of shown in a later level in the game. The level has, for lack of an actual name, dancers, that animate when tapped in time to the rhythm. During the level, more dancers appear to the point where the screen is filled with hundreds of them, which can be very off-putting as it’s not the purpose of the game. That being said, it’s not bad to look at if you are actually making them move in time correctly with the beat.


The music used in this game is really catchy, nice to listen to and really gets you involved in the game. I have memorised a number of the songs and can still remember them to this day! Again, certainly suitable for all ages, though if you’re not playing yourself, the repetitiveness can get old very quick, as I found out from friends and family.


Overall, as a game, I do feel like there were aspects missing which could have made it seem a bit more complete in my eyes, namely the duplicate levels being replaced with brand new ideas. Nevertheless, I do enjoy the game and will be playing it lots when I find my misplaced cartridge. I would recommend it to anyone of any age who enjoys silly games with simple goals.


So this is my last review for a week or so guys, but I'll try and keep on blogging in England with other stuff :)
Hope you enjoyed today's review, and see you next time!
-KirreeH

My favourite level!