Nintendo announces Rhythm Heaven Groove for Nintendo Switch
Rhythm Heaven Groove will be the fifth game in Nintendo’s rhythm action series
Nintendo has announced a new Rhythm Heaven game for Nintendo Switch.
Rhythm Heaven Groove is the fifth game in Nintendo‘s rhythm action series. Players will have some time to wait for it, however, because it’s set to be released in 2026.
“Play a wealth of eclectic rhythm games along with music produced by the renowned Japanese musician Tsunku,” Nintendo said, alongside a debut trailer for Groove.
By the time it releases, Rhythm Heaven Groove will be the Nintendo series’ first instalment in over a decade, and the first all-new entry since 2011.
The Rhythm Heaven games are made up of a series of rhythm challenges, in which players have to use audio cues in order to complete tasks, by matching the beat.
The first game, Rhythm Tengoku, was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2006, but never made it outside of Japan. Despite this, the GBA’s region free capabilities and the game’s relative lack of text meant it was one of the most popular imported GBA games.
Rhythm Tengoku was popular enough to spawn a sequel, the 2008 NIntendo DS game Rhythm Heaven (known as Rhythm Paradise in Europe). While the first game made use of the GBA’s A and B buttons, the sequel instead used the DS touch screen, with players tapping, holding and flicking their stylus to the beat.
The third game, Rhythm Heaven Fever (known in Europe as Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise), was released on the Wii in 2011 but made use of the Wii Remote’s A and B buttons instead of its motion sensing capabilities.
Finally, Nintendo 3DS game Rhythm Heaven Megamix offered a sort of ‘remix’ compilation of the previous games, with over 100 rhythm games to choose from.
The series was popular for the absurdity of its mini-games, with one in particular – involving a masked wrestler being interviewed – becoming the source of a popular internet meme.
