Rhythm Heavenis a rhythm game series that puts your beat-keeping skills to the ultimate test. Originally launched for the Game Boy Advanced, these fun and stressful activities have been making us tap our feet and snap our fingers for over a decade. And, even though the last Rhythm Heaven game launched was during the 3DS era, we’re still booting up our Wiis toplay classics like Rhythm Heaven Fever even to this day.
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But, in a series so memorable, which rhythm games are the best? Which are the ones that we return to every so often to Beat the Beat at? Here, are our top choices for the best Rhythm Heaven levels.
10Karate Man
There’s no denying that Karate Man is a fan favorite. It’s shown up in every Rhythm Heaven game so far, and its main character, Karate Joe, has even appeared inSuper Smash Brothers. In Karate Man, your main objective is to punch objects that are being thrown at you.
Though it seems difficult at first, after some practice, you’ll get the hang of it. You might even find yourself singing along to Rhythm Heaven Fever’s original song, Lonely Storm. Just try not to get too overwhelmed when the announcer tells you to “Hit three!” or if the word “Combo!” appears on the screen.
9Cheer Readers
Studying is hard. So, wouldn’t you want someone cheering you on while you worked in the library? Sure, these cheering cheerleaders can be a bit loud, but they mean well. And their encouraging “Okay, it’s on!” can inspire any slacker to aim for an A+.
Appearing in Rhythm Heaven Fever and Rhythm Heaven Megamix, Cheer Readers tasks you with keeping up with your cheer squad, who have ditched their pom-poms for hardcover books. Depending on which phrase is said, you’ll either have to flip your book, spin your book in your hands, or open your book to the correct page. If you nail every beat, you’ll get to watch a wave effect fit for any sporting event. Or in this case, studying event.
8Fan Club
In Fan Club, you play as a monkey who cheers for their favorite pop star as they perform on stage. Yup, you read that right. In this game, you have to clap and jump at the same time as your monkey fan friends. Succeed and you’re rewarded with the singer thanking you. Fail and you’ll have to replay the stage.
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What makes this level interesting is that you have to listen for the cues the singer gives whileshe sings her song. Every time she repeats a word three times, you have to clap four. And every time she says “I suppose”, you have to clap three times and then jump. It’s a unique twist to the rhythm format and only gets more complicated in Fan Club 2, which you must cheer along to an extended version of the tune.
7Flock Step
It’s hard not to love the squawks of Flock Step. Appearing in Rhythm Heaven Fever and Rhythm Heaven Megamix, this game has you taking control of a long-legged, tiny-winged pink bird. Using your rhythm skills, you must help this tiny fledgling step in tempo with the rest of their flock. In practice, this seems simple. But good luck keeping track of your birdie buddy as the screen becomes covered in colorful avifauna.
Still, thanks to how catchy this level’s song is, and how shocked our pink protagonist looks whenever they get ping-ponged back and forth against their neighbors, we can overlook the difficulties and just enjoy the march.
6Flipper-Flop
Not only are these seals absolutely adorable, but they are also professional dancers. Well, the three surrounding you are anyway. In Flipper-Flop, you play a cuddly white seal who must flip to the beat. Successfully doing so will make your Captain proud and your squad happy.
If you mess up, however, be prepared for your seal to look as surprised as the pink bird from Flock Step. Not only is this level available in the Wii version of Rhythm Heaven, but it makes its return in the 3DS version too, allowing you to join these seals and their captain on more dancing expeditions.
5Built To Scale
There are several versions of the level Built to Scale, but the one we will be focusing on is from the DS Rhythm Heaven. This is the first level you will be introduced to in the game and its instructions are straightforward: when the do-re-mi scale hits sol, flick your stylus so that the middle rod piece can connect two moving square panels together.
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Though it starts off easy, the stage becomes difficult when the music begins to speed up and when someone decides to cut the lights. It’s a big surprise to suddenly throw curveballs like this, while still adhering to the rules of flicking on sol, but a surprise that helps prepare newcomers for the frantic nature of the Rhythm Heaven games.
4Air Rally
Normally, if you are a pilot in charge of flying a single-seat aircraft, you wouldn’t play badminton against a cat flying on another airplane. But in Air Rally, your top priority is successfully keeping the rally going. Luckily, your partner in flight is there to help you stay on rhythm by singing “Ba-bum-bum-bum!”
Unluckily, this aviator cat will fly ahead of you and turn into a tiny speck in the distance and switch from singing to yelling their Ba’s. Still, despite the headache this level can give us, we still fondly look back at dropping the birdie and being yelled at by our best feline friend.
3Ringside
In Ringside, you play as a sweaty wrestler who must answer questions correctly and pose for the camera when asked. And although you, as said sweaty wrestler, might not have a lot to say in words, it’s important that your actions showcase your winning emotions.
For this challenge, depending on what is asked, you must nod or flex. Sometimes you do both. Of course, we can’t forget about the reporter who interviews the wrestler, whose questions of “Wubbadubba ‘zat true?” and statements of “You go big guy!” live on with us even after all these years.
2Packing Pests
Nothing is better than the sweet taste of candy. And nothing is worse than the creepy crawly feeling of spiders on your skin. In Packing Pests, you get to experience the best and worst of both worlds. Your job is to catch all the candy thrown your way and to swat awayany adorably pesky spiders.
What makes this level amazing, besides protecting the delicious confectioneries from arachnids, is the song that accompanies it. There is something so satisfying about catching and smacking to the beat of this cheerful tune. Especially when the speaker announces for you to “Double Up”, an audio cue that tells you to smack two eight-legged pests away.
1Remix 10
Ah, Remix 10. What is a Remix? Well, it’s a challenge where you put your skills to the test by playing a combination of previous rhythm levels. Be prepared to play all the stages that you previously succeeded and failed at in rapid succession and with no rest.
Out of all the Remixes, Rhythm Heaven Fever’s Remix 10 is our favorite. This trial has 30 rhythm games for you to run through. That’s every single level plus the tutorial and the staff credits! On top of that, this Remix will seemingly finish only to add several more beats to the end. Twice! It truly is a celebration of all your hard work and a reminder of every humiliating failure that Rhythm Hell, em, Heaven, put you through.
