A rhythm game that's just what the doctor ordered.
I'd like to point out that I am no great shakes at music games. Literally all of my friends can beat me at a game like Guitar Hero all day long. But, yet, I have a good sense of rhythm, and didn't find most of this game quite as difficult as many have. So don't be scared away simply because you haven't been good at rhythm games in the past. This is a much more purely rhythm based experience, in my opinion.
Crucial to this sort of game is, of course, the music. I suggest that you look up a couple of the tunes on youtube and see if you enjoy them. If you do, you're in for a treat with the rest. Each song is incredibly catchy, and I found myself humming my favorites outside of the game for a while.
The game is quick to start, and nothing ever slows its pace. The controls are as simple as tapping, holding, and flicking to the music, based mostly on auditory cues. There will be visual cues as well, but these will sometimes try to deceive you and trip you up. These controls are easy to learn but tougher to master, as the changes in rhythm in later levels present some challenge to almost anyone. The levels are short and sweet and thus easy to replay if you make a mistake without backtracking through 4 minutes of song.
I find the presentation and reliance on auditory instead of visual cues refreshing and more fun than tapping notes in time as they slide across the screen.
Completing all 50 levels will probably take 5 or 6 hours on a person's first run through, but achieving gold or perfect ratings in each level (something I had no qualms about taking the time to do, it was just so much fun to play, and I felt such accomplishment with each medal I earned) easily at least doubles the game time. And at the bargain prices Rhythm Heaven is available for, it's worth every cent. There are extra modes to spend time with as well, which I can say I spent hours doing though progression through them is not as addictive or rewarding as the main game. The fact you need to earn medals to unlock these extra modes, however, is a great way to make the medals mean something to the player.
I never experienced control issues as some reviews state. For record, I played on a well worn launch year DS. My largest criticism is simply the fact that a number of the last levels are merely amped up challenging versions of previous levels, so there aren't really 50 unique ones. Nevertheless, I find this game worth every penny.
If you are even looking at this review, I can tell you're interested in the kind of quirky rhythm game this is. Don't waste any more time. Fork over the $10 on Amazon and enjoy some quick addictive fun.