Ok, the version I played was called Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise, but that name is so dumb. No one screenshot can do it justice because there’s so much variety in how each game looks, even though the gameplay is pretty consistent, but here’s Love Rap.

This series has its devotees, and while I’ve never been big on rhythm games, my brother and I once had a good time laughing at the sheer bizarreness of the GBA original. This iteration (the third) follows the same formula quite closely, and is perhaps less outright weird but very creative and imaginative with the settings and tasks. Always having something new to look at and do is engaging, and although as I said the gameplay is just pressing either A or A+B with the right timing, this just makes each new game accessible.

So it’s very successful, but having a sense of rhythm and beat is very important to your enjoyment. Nobody likes failing over and over again because of the game being too demanding for your skills; fortunately it seems forgiving in letting you pass (at least for my level of skills), and will let you past the “remix” stages that unlock after every 5 games cleared if you fail hard enough. It’s still frustrating from time to time and I had to accept the fact that I’ll never be able to “perfect”… well, anything in this game.

Having talked to people online who have perfected everything, it’s good that the game can cater to different skill levels like that. For the record, when I finished I had 10 medals out of 50, and that’s just for doing well, not for doing perfect. I didn’t take the time to replay many stages though, and I feel that this (and any Rhythm Heaven game) is at its best when it’s constantly surprising you with the next unique setting, and you’re adapting to each new challenge; like WarioWare, which has commonalities with the series as well as sharing developers to some extent.

I did want to get through it quickly though, to share it with my brother this weekend. He does read this blog, so I guess I just spoiled another birthday surprise for him… sorry, bro!

Finally, I also had a go at the DS entry, called just Rhythm Heaven (it gets confusing when you start comparing the names in different regions). They’re very similar, structurally the game doesn’t really change between entries. The Wii version has the distinct edge though for a few reasons. Firstly the platform: its rounded, cartoony style is more pleasant than the pixellated DS look, and those DS speakers obviously can’t hold up to the sound from a TV with a proper console. More importantly, while the Wii version’s controls are simple button presses which are easy to time with the music, the DS one demands touch screen flicks which simply aren’t responsive enough for the precision needed in timing. The experience just doesn’t feel as good; it’s hard to get in the zone when holding and interacting with the DS in that way compared to a the greater immersion of a static TV and a simple button press.

So we can chalk this game up to another underrated gem in the Wii’s library. For the frankly ludicrous price I found it at, it’s well worth it. You really do need some sense of rhythm to get anything out of it though, and I acknowledge it’s not for everyone. But the sheer creativity and wacky fun of the games is worth seeing. Recommended.