Rhythm Heaven Groove
2026 video game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rhythm Heaven Groove, known as Rhythm Paradise Groove in PAL regions and Rhythm Tengoku: Miracle Stars in Asia,[b] is a 2026 rhythm game developed by Nintendo and TNX and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven series, following Rhythm Heaven Megamix (2015) for the Nintendo 3DS. The game released worldwide on July 2, 2026, being the first new game in the Rhythm Heaven series in over a decade.
| Rhythm Heaven Groove | |
|---|---|
North American promotional artwork | |
| Developer | Nintendo EPD[a] |
| Publisher | Nintendo |
| Director | Kazuyoshi Osawa |
| Producers | Kouichi Kawamoto Takayuki Shimamura Yoshikazu Yamashita Tsunku |
| Programmers | Takafumi Masaoka Naoki Masuda Kosuke Teshima |
| Artists | Ko Takeuchi Kyohei Seki |
| Composers | Tsunku Koji Kamada Kaoru Okubo Rei Kamiya Shinji Ushiroda Haruki Matsumoto |
| Series | Rhythm Heaven |
| Platform | Nintendo Switch |
| Release |
|
| Genres | Rhythm, music |
| Modes | Single-player, multiplayer |
As such in previous entries, Rhythm Heaven Groove is a collection of rhythm minigames that each challenges players to play the game in time to the rhythm primarily using audio cues. The game features 80 single-player rhythm minigames as well as 30 multiplayer rhythm minigames. In addition to the main rhythm games, the game features an RPG-like "Beatspell" game mode where players use rhythm and use different button combinations to cast spells to defeat monsters. The game features music composed by Japanese musician and longtime series composer Tsunku and features vocals by various artists such as Ado. Rhythm Heaven Groove received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Gameplay
Rhythm Heaven Groove follows the gameplay of previous Rhythm Heaven entries, where players have to complete a series of rhythm minigames in time with the music, similar to "microgames" in the WarioWare series.[2] While visual cues are present, players are encouraged to follow the beat of the music to get a sense of the rhythm.[3] Rhythm Heaven Groove features 80 single-player rhythm games and over 30 multiplayer rhythm games.[4]
Rhythm Heaven Groove features 80 single-player rhythm minigames, which are distributed in sixteen sets of five rhythm minigames,[citation needed] each containing four rhythm minigames and one Remix consisting of the games played in said set.[5] The last set contains five Remixes consisting of the rhythm minigames found throughout the previous sets.[citation needed] After each rhythm minigame is completed, rankings based on 3 broad categories of performance are given: "Keep Trying" or "Try Again" indicates that the player failed and has to repeat the level, "Good" or "OK" indicates that the player did well enough to pass to the next level, and "Amazing" or "Superb" indicates exceptional performance, giving the player a medal which can be used to unlock extra minigames.[6]
Levels with an "Amazing" or "Superb" rank may be randomly selected for an opportunity to go for a Perfect run, where players have three attempts to clear the level without making mistakes. Completing the Perfect run successfully unlocks bonus items such as comics and stories. After the player clears the initial Perfect run, the player can attempt Perfect runs for the given level at any time. Clearing the Perfect runs 3 times in a row unlocks Night Mode, which challenges the players to rely exclusively on audio cues as the visuals are completely absent.[7][8]
The game features text-to-speech used for the accessibility of blind and visually impaired players.[9] When turned on, on-screen text, as well as audio descriptions, is read aloud by the game's mascot, Li'l Miss Reeds.[10]
Development and release
Rhythm Heaven Groove was developed by mainly by Nintendo EPD and Tsunku's TNX,[11] with additional work done by Intelligent Systems.[12] Kazuyoshi Osawa, the director for the first two games in the series (Rhythm Tengoku and Rhythm Heaven),[13] assumed the same role for Groove.[14] Series veterans Tsunku, who composed the music throughout the series, and Ko Takeuchi, who also was the artist for the WarioWare games, assumed the roles of Miracle Producer and Art Director, respectively.[13][14]
In 2020, series producer Tsunku expressed his hopes on a new entry in the Rhythm Heaven series for the Nintendo Switch, stating that a new game would work well on the console, advocating for fans to express their interest to Nintendo.[15] In 2025, during the initial announcement, Tsunku was revealed to return as the producer[16] and composer, where he worked on the game without his vocal cords due to recovering from laryngeal cancer in 2014.[17]
Music
The game features guest singers such as Yui Sakurai from Fruits Zipper, who sang "My Telepathy! Watashi no Atsui Kosen",[c][18] and Ado, who sang "Love me forever!"[19]
Announcement and release
Rhythm Heaven Groove was first announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation in March 2025,[17] showcasing gameplay through various rhythm-based minigames and revealing the use of various art styles instead of one unified style.[20] The game was revealed alongside Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, with both being the first new entries for their respective series in over a decade.[21] The presentation also revealed the release window of 2026, around 11 years since the original release of Rhythm Heaven Megamix (2015) in Japan (which was a compilation of minigames from past entries), and around 15 years since the last all-new entry to the series, Rhythm Heaven Fever (2011).[22][16]
On April 9, 2026, Nintendo showcased one of the rhythm minigames, "Slice N Dice Kitchen", a rhythm game about chopping vegetables, through the Nintendo Today! app and revealed that the game will release on July 2, 2026 worldwide.[23] It was priced at US$39.99.[24][25]
More information was shown in another Nintendo Direct presentation on June 9, 2026, where it was revealed that the game will have 80 new rhythm games in its single-player mode, and over 30 in its multiplayer mode.[4] The presentation also revealed a role-playing game-style game mode called "Beatspell",[26][27] where players cast damaging and healing spells by pressing different buttons to the beat, defeating enemies while progressing through a dungeon until they are met with the boss.[28] A Nintendo Treehouse live stream that took place immediately after the Direct showcased several of the new rhythm games and game modes.[4][27] A free demo containing the first four rhythm games and the first Remix of the single-player mode,[29] and one of the multiplayer rhythm games, "Rhythm Tweezers", was released on June 22, 2026.[30] On the same day as the game's release, seven music tracks were added to the Nintendo Music app as a "special release".[31]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | 82/100[d][32] |
| OpenCritic | 85% recommend[e][33] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Eurogamer | 4/5[3] |
| Famitsu | 8/10, 8/10, 9/10, 9/10[34] |
| Game Informer | 8.25/10[7] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[35] |
| GamesRadar+ | 4/5[11] |
| Giant Bomb | 4/5[36] |
| IGN | 9/10[6] |
| Nintendo Life | 8/10[5] |
| Shacknews | 8/10[37] |
| TechRadar | 4/5[38] |
| Video Games Chronicle | 5/5[14] |
Critical reception
Rhythm Heaven Groove received "generally favorable" reviews on review aggregation website Metacritic,[32] and 85% of critics recommended the game on OpenCritic.[33] Four critics from the Japanese magazine Famitsu rated the game with two 8/10 and two 9/10 scores, bringing the total score to a 34/40.[34]
Critics praised the soundtrack in the game. Jordan Biordi of CG Magazine called the music "so unbelievably good it’s genuinely hard not to find a new favourite as each new stage opens up".[9]
Sales
The game debuted at No. 1 in Japanese sales charts maintained by Famitsu, recording 393,378 copies sold in its first week, ahead of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Star Fox.[39] The game remained in the No. 1 spot for an additional two weeks[40][41] until it was pushed to second place by Splatoon Raiders.[42] In the UK, Groove debuted in the No. 5 spot, behind Star Fox and ahead of Football Manager 26.[43]
As of August 2, 2026, the game has sold 734,476 physical copies in Japan.[44]
Notes
- Additional development by TNX and Intelligent Systems
- Japanese: My Telepathy!私の熱い光線
- Score based on 94 reviews
- Score based on 78 reviews