For the first time, a Rhythm Heaven game is releasing into a world with imitators. At the release of the previous game on Nintendo 3DS, writers would often say something to the effect of “there’s nothing quite like it.” But with games like Melatonin and Bits & Bops seeking to emulate its charms? Not anymore. Instead, though, we have a look at the elements of the series that are harder to copy. It’s very difficult to pull off! We know that now. So the quantity and polish present in Rhythm Heaven Groove is that much more impressive. If you’re just checking out the franchise now (hey, welcome!), Rhythm Heaven is a game about completing specific vignettes through making simple button presses to a rhythm. You’ll do a tutorial on each particular scheme, then try it according to a particular crafted song. There are remixes, sound toys and other little things in the package. Still, the core experience is going to be learning and executing these beat patterns. Anyone who has played a Rhythm Heaven title is familiar with the formula: learn a batch of new games, then mash them together into a high-energy remix. This continues to work well to make a satisfying play session with decent pacing, and I recommend it so you don’t get too burned out on the necessary tutorials for each new stage. In a lot of ways, the Remix levels are the game, with the individual challenges serving as training.Go Ad-Free With Siliconera+View the site with no ads, be able to provide direct feedback about what we cover, and be automatically entered into our monthly PC game giveaway.Join Siliconera+ Image via Nintendo The series has long developed a reputation as a game it’s easier to play while listening than looking. Rhythm Heaven Groove leans into this with a robust accessibility scheme. There are options to read all text (or just necessary rules) out loud, and menus and such feel designed for easiest use without visual aids. The resulting main menu does feel a bit barebones. It could have done a bit more to carry the energy of the rest of the game. Still, we’ll absolutely applaud the efforts to make Nintendo’s first screen-optional audio game since Soundvoyager. The biggest side game in Rhythm Heaven Groove is definitely Beatspell. In it, you fight monsters through rhythm-based battles, mashing to the beat to cast magic and heal. It starts simply and needs a bit to ramp up, but without spoiling anything, it does eventually reach more complex and interesting stages. Outside of that, you’ll unlock lots of little distractions as you play through the main levels. They’re not the reason to play, but they’re sometimes amusing. Rhythm Heaven works best on handhelds, a fact the developers know well since all but one entry has been portable. That’s because, more than most rhythm games, it relies upon precise audiovisual calibration. There are built-in tools to mitigate this, but with our setup, we got a lot of “well if you’re sure, but it’s going to be weird sometimes” and even an occasional “nah, not this mode.” It’s noticeably better in handheld mode and I’d recommend that way nearly exclusively. There’s even a warning about using wireless headphones, which we don’t remember seeing in any other game. We took all the precautions and measures we could while docked and would barely clear Good on games; the first try undocked yielded immediate Amazing ratings. That factor does, unfortunately, make playing the new multiplayer offering a bit harder. Review period restrictions meant we couldn’t give this side of the game as much testing as we’d have liked, but these logistical hurdles are going to make it a hard sell for anyone. You’ll have to choose between compromising on timing precision to play on the TV and compromising on seating comfort to play huddled around a tabletop. Image via Nintendo Rhythm Heaven Groove looks nice, with its style carrying it throughout! Increased fidelity shows the seams a bit more, though. You can feel the work as it happens. The animation layers. The backgrounds. It’s hard to explain! There’s a few things done to compensate for that, like using filters and palette swaps and such along the way to make for dynamic sights during play. And, of course, the soundtrack is excellent. There’s an option to play songs on their own, and it’s genuinely something you might want to do. Rhythm Heaven Groove follows the franchise formula very closely, building a familiar but robust toy box for fans of the beat. Lag is the number one concern! We recommend playing in handheld mode, and choosing headphones carefully if necessary. Still, it’s worth the care. Nintendo’s Rhythm Heaven Groove will release on July 2, 2026 for Nintendo Switch systems. It costs $39.99, both physically and digitally.