Rhythm Heaven Megamix

Rhythm Heaven Megamix
File:Rhythm Heaven North America Logo.png North America logo
Developer(s)	Nintendo SPD
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Director(s)	Masami Yone
Producer(s)	Tsunku
Programmer(s)	Takafumi Masaoka
Artist(s)	Ko Takeuchi
Composer(s)	Tsunku Shinji Ushiroda Asuka Ito Yumi Takahashi Megumi Inoue
Platform(s)	Nintendo 3DS
Genre(s)	Rhythm game
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer

Rhythm Heaven Megamix, known in Europe as Rhythm Paradise Megamix and in Japan as Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus (リズム天国 ザ・ベスト＋, Rizumu Tengoku: Za Besuto Purasu), is a rhythm game developed by Nintendo SPD for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the fourth game in Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven series and compiles stages from the series' previous entries; Rhythm Tengoku, Rhythm Heaven, and Rhythm Heaven Fever. The game was released in Japan on June 11, 2015 and in North America on June 15, 2016. It will be released in Europe on October 21, 2016, and October 22, 2016 in Australia & New Zealand.

Gameplay

See also: Gameplay of the Rhythm Heaven series

Like previous entries in the series, Rhythm Heaven Megamix is composed of several rhythm-based stages, requiring players to play in time with the music in order to clear each stage. The game uses the traditional control scheme featured in the original Rhythm Tengoku, which uses the A, B, and directional buttons on the Nintendo 3DS. The game can be optionally played with the stylus, though controls are more simplified compared to Rhythm Heaven. The game features over 100 stages, including about 70 taken from previous entries in the series (including the GBA release, which was never released in the west) and about 30 brand new ones, as well as new Remix stages based on the game's Rainbow Towers which combine the previous rhythm games in the tower (or more rhythm games) into one song. Tower-themed elements are incorporated into the remix while every character in the present rhythm games get to wear special tower-themed Props. Ratings for stages are now awarded based on a score meter indicating how well the player performed. Each stage also features a special Skill Star point, which awards bonuses for hitting a certain part of the level with precise timing. Playing through songs earns coins that can be used to unlock bonuses such as additional rhythm games.

Megamix features a Story Mode in which players try to help a character named Tibby reach Heaven World, his home. The mode has players play through stages in a linear format, which is broken up by challenge minigames, before allowing players to tackle various towers in any order they choose. Some of the game's stages have two or three variants. The first is the "Story" version that has an much easier challenge. These variants feature new graphics and new age/futuristic/electronic/techno themed music incorporated into the stage. The second is the "Returns/Sequel" version, which is the original version of the stage that has music taken from the Rhythm Heaven title it first appeared in (except for the new games exclusive to Megamix, in which they feature their own music). Only three Rhythm Games (Figure Fighter, The Clappy Trio and Rhythm Rally) have "Triquels", which are much harder versions of the Sequel versions. There are also 10 updated versions of older games that feature new graphics, and some of the returning rhythm games from Tengoku and Heaven (DS) feature new music and redesigned graphics. Outside of the Story Mode, players can attempt Perfect Campaigns, which require players to clear selected stages without making any mistakes, or take on challenges on the Challenge Train, which can be played with up to four players via Download Play. The Challenge Mode in the game also has two WarioWare crossover challenges named as "Wario... Where?", which replaces some of the rhythm games' main characters with characters from the WarioWare series (This is due to both the WarioWare and Rhythm Heaven franchises being made by the same developers). The game also features bonus rhythm games (all from previous entries in the series) and a Figure Fighter V.S. challenge that uses the 3DS's StreetPass functionality.

Rhythm Games

The following Rhythm Games are playable in Rhythm Heaven Megamix.

From Rhythm Tengoku	From Rhythm Heaven	From Rhythm Heaven Fever	New Rhythm Games	Tower Remixes
Karate Man d n	Fillbots e	Air Rally e	Catchy Tune e	Lush Remix o
Rhythm Tweezers e	Glee Club e	Figure Fighter c	Fruit Basket e	Honeybee Remix g
The Clappy Trio c	Shoot-Em'-Up e	Micro-Row e	First Contact e	Machine Remix h
Bunny Hop	Airboarder f	Exhibition Match	Tongue Lashing	Citrus Remix
Sneaky Spirits e	Rhythm Rally c	Flipper-Flop e	LumBEARjack e	Donut Remix
Power Calligraphy	Blue Birds	Flock Step	Super Samurai Slice e	Barbershop Remix
Spaceball	Dog Ninja	Hole in One e	Sumo Brothers	Songbird Remix
Rat Race	Fan Club i e	Working Dough e	Animal Acrobat e	Left-Hand Remix
Tap Trial e	Frog Hop e j	Ringside	Tangotronic 3000	Right-Hand Remix
Ninja Bodyguard	Freeze Frame	Launch Party	Pajama Party	Final Remix
Marching Orders	Munchy Monk	See-Saw	Blue Bear
Space Dance e	Lockstep	Cheer Readers	Kitties!
Bouncy Road b	The Dazzles b k	Built to Scale b	Karate Man: Senior
Night Walk b	Big Rock Finish b	Double Date b	Charging Chicken a
Quiz Show b	Karate Man: Kicks! b l	Catch of the Day b
Sick Beats a	Coin Toss a	Fork Lifter b
		Love Rap b
		Bossa Nova b
		Screwbot Factory b
		Board Meeting b
		Samurai Slice b
		Packing Pests b
		Monkey Watch b
		Karate Man: Combos! b m
		Clap Trap a

Notes

^a Appears as an Endless Game
^b Appears as a Bonus Game
^c Includes "Sequel" and "Triquel" versions.
^d Includes "Returns!" version with vocals in the background.
^e Includes "Sequel" version.
^f Uses the song That's Paradise.
^g Uses the song I'm a lady now.
^h Uses the song In the Grain of Big Tears.
^i Uses the song Thrilling! Is This Love?.
^j Uses the song Young Love Rock 'n' Roll.
^k Uses the song Love Ooh Ooh Paradise.
^l Uses the song Struck By the Rain.
^m Uses the song Lonely Storm.
^n Unlocked from the beginning of the Story mode, and like in Rhythm Tengoku, it is the first game you play.
^o Uses the song Love Story.

Development

Masami Yone, the director of Rhythm Heaven Fever, assumed the same role for Megamix. He was assisted by Takumi Hatakeyama, who previously worked as a programmer and designer for WarioWare D.I.Y. and Rhythm Heaven Fever. Ko Takeuchi returns as the art director, and Yoshio Sakamoto as the general producer. The music is done by Tsunku♂, who also serves as the game's producer. Megamix was the final game developed by Nintendo SPD1 before it was merged into Nintendo Entertainment Planning and Development.

In 2016, Nintendo announced that the game would launch in North America, Europe and Australia "later" that year. The game was released as a Nintendo eShop exclusive in North America on June 15, 2016 during Nintendo's Treehouse Livestream presentation at E3 2016. The game will receive a physical retail release in Europe on October 21, 2016. Like the European release of Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise, the English versions of the game feature both English and Japanese audio.

Reception

Rhythm Heaven Megamix received favourable reviews from Famitsu reviewers, scoring 34/40 (8/8/8/10) in Famitsu Score, and praised for various aspects including its great variety in gameplay despite the simple controls, and supportive feedback from input timing effects.

The game debuted at No. 1 in Japanese charts maintained by Media Create, recording 158,000 copies sold in its first week of release. As of 26 February 2016, total Japanese sales reached 650.000 copies.

External links

• Official website Template:Ja icon