Amazon.com: Rhythm Tengoku: Video Games

The first time I got to play Rhythm Tengoku was thanks to a friend of mine who's a big importer. I wasn't too sweet on Wario Ware - I like the idea, but it just seemed repetative. And, since RT is made by the same development team as Wario Ware, I was ready to write it off as more of the same.

Oh man, am I glad I played this game.

When you start off, you are made to take a rhythm test. The game plays you a beat, and you push the A button in time to varying tempos. Once you've perfected that, you get to move on to the main game. There are eight "levels" in all, each with five minigames and one Remix - however, the final two "levels" are harder versions of previous games. No matter.

This is a rhythm game (of course!) and the music shines. Oh, how it shines. Tsunku, who is the mastermind behind Hello! Project (girl groups like Morning Musume, MiniMoni, Berryz, etc.), pulled out all the stops. The sounds from this tiny GBA cartridge are amazing. The music is varied in style and theme. From super-traditional Japanese music (like Fireworks and Bon Odori), to happy pop songs (Honey Sweet Angel of Love, my personal favorite), and countless instrumental hits.

What do you do in the game? Press the A button, and sometimes the D-pad.

Is that it?

Yeah, but it's amazing. Your sense of rhythm will be tested, sometimes annoyingly (I hate you, Quiz Show), but every game is completely addictive and completely doable. Some of my favorites are Night Walk, which has you as a little guy who must jump in time to the beat, across perilous platforms, while a starry sky passes by in the background. Air Batter has you as a baseball star swatting at (mostly) baseballs tossed up by a pitching machine. Showtime has you as a penguin trainer, and you must guide three types of penguin through their stage tricks. If I described every single game, it would take far too much space, so let me conclude by saying you must play it to believe some of the things that happen.

As I mentioned, this was developed by the same team as Wario Ware, so you will see the same visual influence and odd sense of humor throughout Rhythm Tengoku. If you don't chuckle at least once, then that is unfortunate.

Along with the main game there are Rhythm Toys (such as a horse machine and a love confession device) and drum lessons, which I did not much go for.

This game is completely in Japanese, but most every minigame is prefaced by a tutorial that will let you try until you figure it out. Everything that doesn't have a tutorial is self-explanatory, like hit a baseball! Or punch a rock! You just have to be on the beat, and you can grasp what task is at hand.

Rhythm Tengoku is bar none the best of the rhythm games I've played, and I have played a few. It seems very simple on the outside, but you soon realize that behind the bright graphics are some twistedly difficult passages. And the music! If you are a fan of the rhythm genre, do yourself a favor and try this game. It is very much worth your time.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Train your rhythmic sense!, September 12, 2007

By

S. Buell (Cary, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

This review is from: Rhythm Tengoku (Video Game)

This is a fun game to train your rhythmic sense.
However, this is all written and voiced in Japanese, so it might take a while to learn how to play it unless you know Japanese.
Some characters in this game are hysterical and I laughed so loud at the first time I played it.

Rhythm Tengoku

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