Rhythm Heaven Groove

I can say with complete confidence that if you have a Switch, this feels like it will be a must-have for the console. It’s so accessible; being so easy to play, it’s great as a solo or party game, and it’s a great entry point for newcomers to the series, running great both on the original Switch and the Switch 2. [Hands-On Impressions]

I have always enjoyed Rhythm Heaven, and I’m beyond happy that the Switch’s popularity has enabled Nintendo to take more chances on dormant franchises. I’m excited to see how the single-player offerings play out as you get deeper into them, and I look forward to busting this game out at future friend gatherings. [Hands-On Impressions]

If you haven't tried any Rhythm Heaven entries before I'd urge you to either buy Megamix for the 3DS if you still own the system as it really is one of the very best titles of its entire catalogue... or to wait for our final verdict on Groove in a few days before it releases on the Switch systems on July 2nd. But this looks and sounds fantastic, its design is something else, and they're making it bigger, plus it's got that educational touch to it that just trains your sense of rhythm naturally. [Hands-On Impressions]

Rhythm Paradise Groove had me wanting more after my brief hands-on with it. The microgames are as crazy and creative as ever, while Beatspell and the multiplayer modes seem to offer some needed variation and extra depth. The music already feels ready to steal the show, and the whole game has that strange energy only this franchise can deliver. Fans of the series will probably get everything they wanted and more, while newcomers should prepare for their new addiction. [Hands-On Impressions]

But where things really came to a head was the Remix, where each of the games I’d already played were swapped between unpredictably, requiring me to interact with them in a much more engaging and different manner, forcing myself to really keep track of all the timings required. Lovely stuff. [Hands-On Impressions]

The most fascinating extra mode I played, though, was Beatspell. It's a small, casual RPG where you perform various actions by pressing buttons on beat. At first, this meant performing the same pattern over and over again to cast the same fire spell against monsters. However, as I unlocked and upgraded spells, I put together more complicated chains of offensive and defensive actions. Since this was all rhythm-based, making those input choices in the moment while staying on beat felt like freestyling, a nice bit of creativity in a game otherwise about precisely following instructions. [Hands-On Impressions]

Overall, I left that room more excited for Rhythm Heaven Groove, a game and franchise I have been engineered to love my whole life but always missed on the street. Now I'll make sure to carve out some time to see it though, and maybe invite some friends over to play a round or two. [Hands-On Impressions]

Rhythm Heaven Groove is shaping up to be exactly what fans want from the next installment in the franchise with additional experiences that might appeal to more casual gamers. The new Beatspell RPG game mode is a fun evolution of the single-player experience, and the excellent music and hilarious writing stood out in every single part of my preview session. [Hands-On Impressions]

If you’re a fan of rhythm-based games such as this, you’ll hopefully be familiar with Headbangers Rhythm Royale, a free-to-play multiplayer version of what Rhythm Paradise Groove has on offer. I tend to prefer it over what I experienced in this preview in terms of both variety, cost, challenge, online multiplayer, and calibration. [Hands-On Impressions]

I walked out of my hands-on session with a huge smile on my face and, honestly, can one really ask for anything more? I can’t wait to try the full thing and, judging by my experience so far, it might just become my favorite Nintendo Switch release of 2026. [Hands-On Impressions]

Nintendo has used a relatively simple formula to create Rhythm Heaven Groove, taking everything good about the old games and adding enough to justify reviving the series after more than a decade. Everything old school fans of the game will want is here with a fresh coat of paint and a lot of polish, while Beatspell adds a whole new layer that I’m not sure anyone even realized Rhythm Heaven needed. [Hands-On Impressions]

The off-the-wall humour, simplicity of the mechanics, and genuinely catchy music made for a very fun experience. I only played around 10 of the confirmed over 100 games, but there was more than enough there to get me looking forward to tapping my feet along to whatever nonsense the rest of the game holds. [Hands-On Impressions]

Rhythm Paradise Groove at a glance feels like a return home for Rhythm Paradise (or Heaven) fans. With a few rhythm-based minigame games that have been filling the gap, it should be a good opportunity for players to see the original. [Hands-On Impressions]