Rhythm Paradise: Groove Hands-On Preview
I’ve never been the most rhythmic of individuals. One of the worst in music classes as a kid, and one that has struggled through most rhythm games that I’ve played, thank god my wife is quite the opposite to me in this respect. So with all of that said, consider me quite intimidated by the opportunity to visit Nintendo Australia to check out the upcoming Rhythm Paradise (or Heaven depending on your region): Groove. I had the opportunity to check out solo, competitive and co-operative features of the game, and walked away having enjoyed myself, but also feeling a bit better about my own burgoeoning career as a rhythmic artist.
For the unacquainted, Rhythm Paradise: Groove offers players a collection of mini-game to playthrough, each in the span of a minute, that test your ability to remain in rhythm with the beat of the game. Whether it be the adorable ‘Disc Dog’ where you’re a dog trying to time your jumps to catch a frisbee, or the ‘Good Brollee Show’ where you’re part of a choreographed umbrella show where you open and retract your umbrella in sync with the beat, Rhythm Paradise: Groove, challenges your timing, and stress levels constantly. In my time previewing Rhythm Paradise: Groove, I was able to check out an entire playlist of levels, which then culminated in a remix, where all are tossed into a blender and you must navigate the needs of each, in quick succession. Your level of skill will be ranked as anything between ‘Good’ and ‘Amazing’, and while I only saw the amazing accreditation once, it was deeply satisfying to master a level to that degree, and putting it all together in a remixed level will be an even greater level of achievement.
I also had the opportunity, along with peers who were also attending the preview session, to check out the game’s co-operative, and competitive gameplay. We played co-operatively in a game called ‘Ninja Bodyguards’, where arrows are being fired towards a vehicle, and as ninjas, it was our job to use our swords to deflect the arrows. The vehicle can only sustain a limited number of direct hits, and so as individuals, you each needed to do your bit to achieve the common goal. Meanwhile, the competitive game, ‘Cake Wait’ saw all four players fighting over pieces of cake. You needed to wait out ten seconds, and the quickest to pounce (without going early) took the cake. Either I was very hungry, or I was particularly good at this game, as I swept my opposition in the first-to-three contest, before winning a second try at it as well.
Lastly, Rhythm Paradise: Groove also possesses an RPG adventure, called Beatspell. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of depth to it narratively, but it required me to sychronise my button inputs to cast spells to defeat enemies. Perfect the timing for critical hits, and take out the opponent before they get you. It seems like there’s a lot more to see in this one as we go deeper into the experience, but we could only check out the opening chapter to wet our toes.
The common element to all the games that I played was the need to keep your own tempo. While I saw some bopping their head to the beat, others, such as myself, were tapping their toes. I also found quite a level of success, especially in Cake Wait, when I looked away from the screen entirely, the visual stimuli distracting from the timing that I wanted to nail.
Rhythm Paradise: Groove isn’t necessarily a game for me, but I felt my proficiency growing with each attempt, and the fun levels filling along the way. Get a family or group of friends on the couch together, and you will undoubtedly have a great time.
