Hands-on with Rhythm Heaven Groove on Switch

Rhythm Heaven has felt like one of Nintendo’s most neglected series for the past 15 years or so. Aside from the compilation-style 3DS instalment released in 2015, the last completely new game landed back in 2011 on Wii - which means roughly two and a half full console generations have passed since we last had a fresh entry. That’s about to change with Rhythm Heaven Groove on Switch, and I recently had the opportunity to go hands-on with the game that’s bringing the franchise back.

Rhythm Heaven Groove on Switch: modes, minigames, and unlocks

Rhythm Heaven Groove offers the biggest set of rhythm-focused minigames the series has ever had, including more than 80 solo games plus more than 30 multiplayer games spread across co-operative and competitive play. Beyond those, there’s also an unlockable, rhythm-driven mini RPG called Beatspell.

Single-player minigames and the growing difficulty curve

In single-player, the standout is just how wide-ranging the minigames feel. They’re all built around keeping time, but each one introduces its own hook - and, just as importantly, its own catchy tune to latch on to.

In Hoop Trundling, you’re positioned at the back of a line and must mirror the rhythm of the people ahead as you leap through hoops coming your way. Brolly Good Show pushes things a bit further by asking you to open and shut an umbrella in sync with the neighbours beside you. Disc Dog was among the toughest for me: after a throw, you have to jump to catch a frisbee exactly seven beats later. The final test in the first batch is Feeding The Beast, where you guide a dinosaur-like creature to munch plants on the beat.

Remixes that combine each collection into one track

After clearing every game in a collection, you gain access to the Remix, which stitches the previous games together into a single song. With everything tied to the same pulse, I liked how it kept me alert, even with the first set. I’m keen to see how much more demanding - and chaotic - the Remixes become as the individual games ramp up in complexity.

Ratings, medals, and later collections

Every minigame wraps up with a results screen judging your performance. If you play well enough to secure the “Amazing” rating, you’re awarded a medal. I set myself the challenge of collecting medals for every rhythm game I tried, and unfortunately I came up just short during the second part of my single-player session when we skipped ahead to the third collection.

In that later set, I played Slice N Dice and Hop, Stop N Roll. Slice N Dice had me controlling a woman chopping vegetables in her kitchen, while Hop, Stop N Roll turned me into a lucky cat figure that hops and rolls in time alongside other cats. Both demanded more precision than the opening collection - which, for me, only made them more enjoyable.

Multiplayer: competitive timing and co-operative teamwork

On the multiplayer side, I tried two games with a group of four. Cake Wait is competitive: a timer starts at 10, and everyone aims to press a button as close as possible to the moment it reaches 0. Things got tense quickly, because the clock disappears as the seconds count down, making it a sharp test of pure timing.

Next up was Ninja Bodyguard, where the four of us teamed up to defend a carriage from archers. It didn’t feel as fraught as Cake Wait, but it delivered the same rhythmic satisfaction as the rest - with an extra sense of togetherness thanks to the co-operative setup.

Beatspell: the rhythm RPG mode

My session finished with Beatspell, the RPG-style mode you can unlock within Rhythm Heaven Groove. Once you’ve collected a certain number of medals, additional Beatspell chapters open up. I played through the first two chapters.

During encounters, you input different commands as the beat moves around a diamond-shaped chart. Each input triggers a distinct spell. For instance, pressing B at one corner and then A at the next casts a flame spell that damages the enemy in front of you. But if you also tap down on the D-pad on the half-beat between those presses, you cast Cure on yourself instead.

After I brought down two monster boss fights, my hands-on time was over. I’ve always had a soft spot for Rhythm Heaven, and I’m genuinely pleased that the Switch’s popularity has helped Nintendo take chances on series that have been dormant for a while. I’m looking forward to seeing how the single-player content evolves the deeper you go, and I’m equally keen to bring it out at future get-togethers with friends.