Rhythm Heaven is fun and intelligent with innovative use of the DS touchscreen and great replay value. Worth your money.
Rhythm Heaven is a game built on, yep, rhythm. You don't need to be a musical prodigy or anything to pick it up though- the 50+ assortment of mini-games, which make up the entire game, come with instructions and a brief tutorial ready for each.
These mini-games, which are all about your touch screen and your DS speakers, are amazingly well-thought out and highly innovative. You play by tapping and/or flicking the touch screen to the beat of the music. Staying on beat earns you a higher score. Straying off beat forces you to do the song over again until the game says you can proceed.
Speaking of the music, the soundtrack is great- as it better be, seeing as it's the basis to whether or not you'll enjoy the game. Trust me, with Rhythm Heaven, you can't turn your volume off. You can't even turn it low. But you won't want to. The tunes, which are lighthearted and surprisingly well-written, are catchy and guaranteed to stay in your head for hours.
Anyway, the game is definitely remarkable or many other reasons- one of them being the difficulty curve. Just because this is a cutesy multicolored rhythm game does NOT mean you'll be breezing straight through without a fight. Oh, no. As you progress, the level of play becomes more and more challenging, and mini-games that were easy before come back as "insert name here 2!" They then become lethal. In a great way.
In short, this game is challenging without being frustrating, which is quite a feat.
Another great thing about Rhythm Heaven is its replay value. As you make your way through those 50+ songs, the game gives you chances to earn unlockables by getting "perfect"s on the songs you've played before. Not only that, but you'll find yourself wanting to go back and get higher scores- or, just to hear the music again. This games makes you want to go back and play over and over and over.
My only complaint? No multiplayer. Ugh. That would have made this game even more amazing than it already is. Maybe in Rhythm Heaven 2? Haha.
Bottom line? This game is amazing. Whether it's for relaxation, as a challenge, whether you're a huge rhythm game fan or have never played one in your life- this game is worth every cent you pay for it. (Which, considering how long it's been out, shouldn't be too much. Hint hint.)