What does it take for a game to be universally enjoyable? That's the question most game developers would love to be able to answer, but it's easier said than done. My guess is that it comes down to exploiting the medium for what it does best -- utilizing multi-sensory connections to break down the barriers between the "real" world and the "game" world. If you look at the most popular game franchises in history -- Call of Duty, Wii Sports, Angry Birds, Guitar Hero, etc. -- you'll see that each one broke down those b?arriers in ways that deeply resonated with people on a primal level.

Will Rhythm Heaven Fever resonate with the populace at large in that way? I think it's possible. It definitely utilizes multi-sensory stimuli in ways that instantly make the player feel connected to the game world. It also comes packed with a kind of "Muppet cool" that historically appeals to kids, tee?nagers, adults, and just about everyone in between. It's way too strange and unconventional to ever come off as insincere or uninspired, and it's way too focused on blasting your brain with pure glee to be seen as anything but a whimsical delight.

Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii)
Developer: Nintendo, TNX
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: February 13, 2012
MSRP: $29.99

Unlike other music games that try to simulate the physical act of playing an instrument, Rhythm Heaven Fever imparts onto the player how it feels to play music. Have you ever heard a musician say something like, "When I'm playing, sometimes I feel like I'm flying over the ocean at supersonic speeds, in the middle of a wrestling match with a giant flaming octopus, or making love to a beautiful, ethereal being while riding a cloud to heaven"? I sure have, but I've rarely seen a rhythm game take those emotions and try to directly express them to the player. That's just the start of what makes the Rhythm Heaven series so special -- it dares to give you a peek inside the emotional state of a truly passionate musician (in this case, that musician is Tsunku, the series' musical director).

While this game doesn't have any flaming octopi, it does feature a samurai battling a hoard of spectral demons, pets flying high above the ocean at supersonic speeds while playing badminton, an extremely aroused-sounding pair of cloud-riding wood elves, and plenty of strange times with a variety of enthusiastic simians. Rhythm Heaven Fever brings those kinds of surreal?, intangible flights of fancy and interprets them literally, all while set to undeniably infectious beats.

With something that strange, you have to really work to make it all palatable. Rhythm Heaven Fever seems to know this and works extra hard ??to be accessible. The visuals are well-crafted yet extremely easy to digest in a manner of seconds, like a well-designed traffic sign. The music is also fairly simple yet very strong and comes in just about every style you could think of. It's extremely expressive stuff, though never in a potentially offensive or annoying way.

The same goes for the sound effects. While they aren't quite in the same spotlight as the visuals and soundtrack, they are just as important in the big? picture. Every sound in the game has an undeniable "oomph" and were clearly chosen (along with the title's multiple bizarre scenarios) for how much direct pleasure they can evoke from the player, not on how much sense they make. For example, you'll have a grand ol?d time helping three metal dummies "donk-donk" into each other in order to power their otherworldly space blimp. It's fun in a way you that could never see coming -- inexplicably bizarre yet undeniably satisfying.

The controls are also more fun than they probably deserve to be. Inputs don't come much more simple than this -- everything is triggered by either pressing A, pinching A and B together, or holding both then letting go at just the right time. It doesn't require memorizing the layout of a three-plus button controller like the GBA Rhythm Heaven did, and it doesn't require any really fine motor dexterity like the flick motions in the DS title. While Rhythm Heaven Fever can be extremely difficult at times, that difficulty is never due to the controls. If you fail at this game (and trust me, you? will), it will always be due to your inability to keep th?e beat.

Playing through each regular stage is like learning one part of a longer, more complex song. After four regular stages, you play a "remix" stage that re-appropriates the four previous scenarios and fuses them together into an all all-new, full-length composition. While I really enjoy the individual stages, these remix levels are where the game really shines, as they test your ability to remain fluid and focused in even the most unpredictable sonic climates. Like any good videogame, Rhythm Heaven Fever gently but firmly teaches you how to play, gradually cultivating your level of skill so that, by?? the end, you can pull off feats of superhuman rhythm that you probably never thought were possible. That's a goofy way of saying that the difficulty scaling in the game is just about perfect.

This largely comes from the surprisingly large variety of ways that the game sees fit to challenge the player's i?nternal beat. Sometimes the visuals are there to assist you in keeping the rhythm, but then they'll suddenly flip the script on you, potentially throwing you off time and forcing you to really flex your internal metronome. Conversely, there will be times when the tempo changes radically, so you'll need visual cues to help you stay on beat. In particularly tough stages, the visuals and the beat will alternate in throwing you off and hooking you back onto the beat, truly testing your capacity to follow the rhythm regardless of distraction and intimidation. That's just the start of how the game will make you sweat.

Later on, the game starts layering auditory and visual cues, requiring you to keep track of two or more things at once. There are layers of book-wielding cheerleaders, layers of bouncing ?footballs, and even layers of adorably wiggling seals. They'll force you to simultaneously think fast and think ahead, all while keeping your unwavering tempo alive. All of a sudden, the downbeats will change to upbeats, forcing you to appreciate the? negative rhythmic space that you had previously worked to avoid.

Then there are the "Simon says" cues, anticipation cues, fake-out cues, and the sudden evacuation of all cues, making you rely on muscle memory and instinct. Once you get used to that, you'll be tasked with switching from hitting A to pinching A and B together to letting go of your pinch at just the right time. Between all the visual, auditory, and tactile mix-ups, there is almost always a new challenge to experience in Rhythm Heaven Fever. I've played through the game twice already (once w??ith the Japanese import and again with the English localization), and I still ?have trouble surviving some of the later stages.

As tough as the game can be, it still prioritizes the player's joy over any focus on reaching an end state like a high score. Just like playing a real concert (and unlike other games like Guitar Hero or PaRappa the Rapper), you don't instantly stop playing your tune after you make too many mistakes. No matter what, you'll never be kicked out of the band mid-performance. Also like playing in a real band, you'll never know exactly what the audience thinks of your playing. There are no in-game meters or other gauges to indi??cate how well you're playing. You'll only get a rating once a song is complete, after which you'll be asked to play it again, be permitted to move on, or be praised with honors. What exactly you did right or did wrong is rarely spelled out for you, because as any musician who has tried to please an audience knows, the tastes of music fans is never that easy to read.

That's pretty much everything there is to say about the main "campaign," but there is a lot more to Rhythm Heaven Fever than that. There are tons of unlockables, most of which are all-new endless games that can be played for the rest of your life if you're good enough. They'll test not only your rhythmic skill but also your rhythmic endurance. I'm sure that you'll f??ind that, when it comes to keeping a beat, some of you ??are sprinters whereas others are long-distance runners, and finding out which of the two you are helps you to assess your musical strengths and weaknesses.

Then there are the two-player modes, a new addition to the series. The regular two-player levels are pretty fun, but there are conspicuously few of them. It wouldn't have been that tough to make every level in the game playable for two, but instead, we get a fraction of that number. These levels also don't challenge the players to do anything all that differently than what they do in the one-player mode. Thankfully, the endless two-player levels are really fun and truly test your ability to work in conjunction with one another to a beat. They are a unique experience in the Rhythm Heaven worl??d, and I can only hope that the next game in the series has more of them.

Also on the downside, a few of the levels seem a little too similar to some from the GBA and DS titles to be considered continuations or tributes to those past experiences. If you haven't played the handheld games before, this won't be a problem for you, but if this is not your first Rhythm Heaven, you may?? feel a little annoyed that the robots-on-a-conveyor-belt stage is almost identical to one in the DS game. There are differences, however -- instead of filling the robots with fluid, you now screw their heads on and make their E.T.-like hearts come to life.

As much as this stage may feel like a modified rerun, it's undeniably still fun and arguably better than the one present in the DS title. The sound effects are more satisfying, the music is catchier, and the beat mix-ups are trickier. Later on, the stage is brought back for a second round, adding new visual twists to test your rhythm. Though not as fresh as t?he rest of the game, it's still a surprisingly engaging and eye-opening experience.

Hmm, that didn'??t really sound like much of a downer, did it? Let me try again.

Rhythm Heaven Fever is a relatively short game, but that's like saying that the new three-hour CD box set you just purchased is "relatively short." Just like wit?h a new CD, it's understood that this game was meant to be listened to (and played) over and over again. It will take most players many hours?? to get through the game once and much, much longer to unlock all of the the additional content, including four stages from the original GBA title and an endless mode that you can only unlock once you get perfects on each and every stage.

It may sound like a pain but it's not. Even if I didn't have any external motivation to play through these stages again, I'd still be sure to return to the game every few months, just like I pick up my favorite movie or CD every few months for a repeat experience. Rhythm Heaven Fever is the kind of game that may be? "over" in less time than other AAA titles, but you'll be singing the songs to yourself, be visualizing the scenarios in your mind, and be tempted to play them all again for many years to come.

Again, I failed to express a true downer. I'll take? one last crack at it.

Rhythm Heaven Fever lacks the option to play the game in Japanese. This will probably only bother people (like myself?) who imported the Japanese title a while back and have grown to love its unique sound. The English localization is pretty great, though. Sometimes it's slightly less expressive than the original, sometimes it's slightly funnier and more involving due to the translation. Regardless of?? whether it hits high or hits low, it always hits pretty close to the target. Still, I imagine that whichever version you're most familiar with will be the one you prefer.

There is also one endless level from the Japanese build that is missing, one about a weird Japanese standup comedy duo. These comedians are birds. One smacks the other in the face sometimes. I love that mini-game. It's been swapped out for Mr. Upbeat, o??ne of the more boring endless mini-games from the GBA title. That is an undeniable downer, but it's still just one small missing thread in what is otherwise an excellently woven localization.

Just as I still sing classic Sesame Street songs to myself when I'm in a particularly good mood, or as I can watch old Terry Gilliam animations whenever I need a quick smile-inducing experience, I think I'll be playing Rhythm Heaven Fever on a periodic basis for at least the next 30 years. T??hirty bones is a steal for this level of high-quality fun. You'd have to be a completely foul-brained life hater to pass this one up.

Rhythm Heaven Fever offers the simplicity and elegance of "One Note Samba" or "Blister in the Sun," the directness of the art of Mike Mignola or Pendleton Ward, and the understated but endlessly variable gameplay design of arcade titles like Pac-Man Champion Edition DX or Super Mario Bros. It's one of my favorite games of this generation -- a title that offers a much stronger education in game design and a mor?e pure, direct, ??and genuine experience than most games on the market.

The post Review: Rhythm Heaven Fever appeared first on Destructoid.

Did you know that Rhythm Heaven Fever was getting a special edition? Neither did I. Then I got this box in the mail this morning. I'm pretty sure that th??is special edition won't be sold in stores, but if Ninte??ndo decides to change its mind on that, they're sure to make a killing when the game hits stores on February 13th.

Check out the video and y??ou'll understand what I mean.

The post Rhythm Heaven Fever special edition unboxing appeared first on Destructoid.

Nintendo will host a launch event in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 6-10 p.m., for Rhythm Heaven Fever, and hands-on sessions and giveaways are planne??d for the? event. They're teaming up with iam8bit and Giant Robot to throw a party at the iam8bit gallery, so expect some art with your gaming, food, and drinks. Shirts, posters and other prizes will be given away.

Attendees will be able to film and submit clips to be included in a special Rhythm Heaven Fever interactive video experience.

Nintendo says that th??e event is public, but on a first-come, first-served basis. The iam8b?it Gallery is located at 2147 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California. 

The post Rhythm Heaven Fever launch event in LA at iam8bit appeared first on Destructoid.

We've all had a song -- sometimes one we don't even like -- stuck on repeat as we go through our daily routines. It can be agonizing at times, but the??re is a reason even the worst song becomes infused in the recesses of our subconscious: the music is catchy.

Wubudubudubudubudub! This is the infectious beat that has been echoing inside the depths of my brain ever since I had the chance to go hands-on with Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven Fever. No matter how hard I try, I can't shake this sound. It's a true testament to the charming music minigame collection's addictive rhythmic gameplay and unforgettable jams.

Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii)
Developer: Nintendo, TNX
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: February 13, 2012

The idea behind Rhythm Heaven Fever is fairly straightforward: complete a visually off-the-wall music rhythm challenge with as few mistakes as possible. Each stage, for lack of a better term, contains its own unique look and musical style that is a cross between WarioWare, Inc. and PaRappa the Rapper. The game's presentation is quirky, but with its simple two-button controls -- no motion needed -- it's hard not to become quickly captiva?ted by its charm.

The first minigame I played was called Hole in One. Sports lovers and fans of The Lion King will easily be amused by this challenge that sees monkeys tossing, or in the case of the larger Rafiki-esque baboon, chucking golf balls at you. The goal of the stage is to hit each ball with perfect timing in order to achieve a hole-in-one. It's fairly basic at first, especially with the little monkey gently lobbing golf balls at you, since there are visual cues a player can look for if they just aren't feeling the beat. But for those who want to obtain the "Superb" ranking for the stage, reliance on visual cues will only get one so far. In my experience, I most successfully found the rhythm when I closed my eyes and listened to the music. Everybody processes sounds different?ly, and in the case of Hole in One, the visuals actually distract??ed me.

In the game First Date, the player has to keep bouncing balls from intruding on a date at the park. Basketballs, soccer balls, and footballs -- each with their own bouncing beat -- ?are set to come crashing in and scare away two cute golfers on a date. As the balls bounce in, pressing the A button has the guy trying to impress his date by nonchalantly kicking away the balls while she stares at the furry little critters. There is a visual cue for the soccer b?all and football -- when they reach the apex of the player's knee, quickly press A -- but for the basketball and its double beat bounce, well, it's all up to mastering the rhythm.

Here, Rhythm Heaven Fever makes itself a rewarding experience. You really have to find the rhythm to be successful, but there are still tricks to foll??ow in the game's clean Flash-like animations, so players don't get overly frustrated. Mastering each stage takes rhythmic skill, but having fun is easy for anyone who just wants to enjoy the eclectic and sugary visuals.

For those who want to share the experience of becoming a rhythm master, Rhythm Heaven Fever offers a handful of cooperative games as well. From what I could tell, there are five games fo?r friends to sink into. The first, of two, that I was able to take a stab at was Fork Lifter. The goal is ?to catch as much food that comes flying by, lightning-fast, as possible. It's a more frantic game than any other that I had played, but one that becomes easier once the flow is figured out.

The other multiplayer game I tried was Micro-Row. This game was more musically inclined than the previous minigames I had played. Hitting the A button in time pushes tiny single-celled organisms around the environment in unison, like synchronized swimmers. As the song continues on, the level zooms farther out, making the reliance on actual rhythm more important than any visual sign a player may have been using. The look of Micro-Row was abstract yet accessible, and reminded me a lot of the underappreciated Electroplankton.

Outside of the main game and multiplayer, bonus and endless games that are equally as challenging, if not more so, can be unlocked throughout the game. Toy Car (which is all about timing), Police Call, and Mr. Upbeat (a new addition for the ga?me's North American release) are just a few of the extras to discover. Nintendo wa??s pretty hush-hush on what most of the games are like, but from what I could tell, each looks to provide an extra distraction to help round out the overall package.

With over 50 games plus a cavalcade of extras, there is definitely a welcome variety for fans of the series. While the majority of the Rhythm Heaven Fever is single-player, it lends itself extremely well to the party atmosphere. I only had a chance to play a small sample of the game, but its intoxicating Japanese style had me dancing an??d nodding my head to every song.

Look for Rhythm Heaven Fever very soon, as it hits stores on February 13. Wubudubudubudubudub!

The post Preview: Rhythm Heaven Fever induces grooving appeared first on Destructoid.

I love the Rhythm Heaven franchise and I'm frothing at the mouth in anticipation for upcoming Wii release Rhythm Heaven Fever. As a musician I am drawn to their mix of rhythm play and great music, and the silly visuals does not hurt. One of the best songs from the series was "Love Laboratory," from DS title Rhythm Heaven Gold. I loved it so much that I did my own cover version.

One of the new trailers for Rhythm Heaven Fever show the spiritual successor to this song. This new trailer only gives a small taste, but it's enough for me to know t?hat I'm going to love it when I finally hear the full song. ?It's the first clip, where a boy and a girl are on a date, but the boy is preoccupied with kicking various sports balls away. I've watched this so many times that I hum the song to myself while 'air kicking' invisible balls at my desk.

I don't wan't to ruin the surprise, so I'm not letting myself hunt down the songs and listen to them until I play the game ?in full. I can't wait until next month!

The post I’m obsessed: Rhythm Heaven Fever’s ball kick love song appeared first on Destructoid.

Nintendo has issued its early 2012 videogame release schedule, and believe it or not, there's some quality info lurking in there. The big release is undoubtedly Kid Icarus: Uprising -- it's goin??g to be available for 3DS as of Marc?h 23, 2012.

There's also that Circle Pad Pro to worry about (or not). According to Nintendo, the optional add-on is coming to the United States on February 7. It's only being?? sold through GameStop, both at store locations and online, for $19.99. Okay then!

Another fun surprise is that when Rhythm Heaven Fever releases for Wii on February 13, it'll retail for $29.99. Somewhere, Jonathan Holmes is freaking out. Speaking of the console, we've got Mario Party 9 as well, which is planned for March 11. Be sure to take a look at what's on the way for the?? eShop.

Nintendo 3DS

• 2K Play Nicktoons MLB 3D March
• Capcom Resident Evil® Revelations Feb. 7
• Konami Digital
• Entertainment, Inc.
• METAL GEAR SOLID® 3D Snake Eater Q1
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 January
• NAMCO BANDAI
• Games America Inc.
• TEKKEN 3D Prime Edition™ February
• Tales of the Abyss® Feb. 14
• Nintendo Kid Icarus: Uprising March 23
• Published by SEGA® of America Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games™ Feb. 14
• SEGA® of America CRUSH™3D Q1
• Ubisoft NCIS The Video Game (Based on the TV Series) March 6
• Horses 3D March 6
• Funky Barn Q1
• Rayman® Origins Q1

Nintendo eShop

• Collecting Smiles Colors! 3D Q1
• Nicalis VVVVVV Q1
• NightSky Q1
• Nintendo Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword Q1
• Dillon's Rolling Western Q1
• Kirby's Block Ball™ Q1
• Renegade Kid Mutant Mudds Q1
• Shin'en Multimedia Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH Q1
• Jett Rocket Super Surf Q1
• WayForward Mighty Switch Force Q1
• Zen Studios Zen Pinball Q1

Wii

• 2K Sports MLB 2K12 March 6
• GameMill Entertainment Country Dance™ Special Edition Feb. 1
• Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. Karaoke Joysound Q1
• Nintendo Rhythm Heaven Fever Feb. 13
• PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond Feb. 27
• Mario Party 9 March 11

WiiWare

• Nicalis La Mulana Q1

Nintendo DS Family

• 2K Sports MLB 2K12 March 6
• ATLUS Shin Megami Tensei®: Devil Survivor™ 2 February
• GameMill Entertainment Silverlicious™ March 20
• Xia Xia™ March 20
• Gogo's Crazy Bones™ March 20
• Mentor Interactive Chess for Kids Feb. 14
• NARABA: The Labyrinth of Light Feb. 21
• NARABA: The Mysterious Palace Feb. 21

Nintendo DSiWare

• Cosmigo Box Pusher Q1
• Cypronia Cake Ninja Q1

The post Dated: Kid Icarus, 3DS Circle Pad Pro, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

As much as I'm looking forward to picking Xenoblade (again), it doesn't hold a candle to my most anticipated Wii game of 2012; Rhythm Heaven Fever. Like Xenoblade, this is a game that I've already imported, but I still can't wait to pick it up a second time. Why do I love it so much? Take the most charming internet memes, short films from The Animation Show, and cartoons from classic Sesame Street and Electric Company, put them in a rhythm game, and you pretty much have Rhythm Heaven Fever. Just as I sing the Lady Bugs Picnic song anytime I see a real life lady bug, I'm sure I'll be singing the tambourine monkey song every time I encounter a real life simian percussionist for the rest of my life. 

I initially expected my love of the game to be something I couldn't share with many other "hardcore" gamers, as cute, surreal rhythm action games haven't exactly been big sellers on this side of the world of late. I may have been wrong about that, if the amount of fan videos for the game are any indication of fan interest in the game. First we had this sexy gaichi muchi remix of the game's luchador level. Then there was a remix of the same song featuring yours truly. Now we have new versions of the video featuring Idiocracy and Old Spice superstar Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, Heavy from Team Fortress 2, and a very happy Japanese man. The Rhythm Heaven love doesn't stop there. In fact, there is apparently an entire mini-genre of Team Fortress/Rhythm Heaven mash-ups called Rhythm Fortress. 

I?t warms my tired, old heart to see a game that is 100% focused on fun get so much positive internet attention. See the rest of the videos, and more, after the ??jump.

The post Team Fortress?? 2 and Camacho get?? Rhythm Heaven Fever appeared first on Destructoid.

Friends, we've weathered hard times these past ?months. Nintendo faithful across the land have endured quite the drought. So few compelling titles may have tested the resolve of less devout fans, but not us. No, we patiently waited, silently bearing this burden, knowing that the Meat Man in the sky was testing us and would,? one day, deliver us to salvation.

With Zelda, Kirby, and Mario our faith has been rewarded with a truly bountiful harvest this autumn. Nintendo has blessed us with a feast, to the likes of which we have grown unaccustomed. And now, they serve up yet another magnificent gift. Yes, friends, the drought is truly over.

The oracles at Nintendo Power have prophesied that come February the skies will open up and release Rhythm Heaven Fever upon the world. Acolytes of the Wii,?? the task rests upon your unwavering shoulders to become harbingers of the divine fever. Spread this joyous disease so that its celestial beat finds its way into hearts across the land. 

Rhythm He??aven ??Fever spreads to North America in February [Joystiq]

The post Rhythm Heaven Fever infects North Ame??rica February 2012 appeared first on Destructoid.

Sometimes I really want to p??ack it all up and quit while I'm ahead. 

That's how I felt when I first heard that I'll have a bit part in the upcoming XBLA/PC/WiiWare title Retro City Rampage. I wasn't sure it could get any better than that. Then McNyers made that comic about me, and I almost cried. A few months later, I saw my name in the credits of Cave Story 3D under the "Special Thanks" section. I had no idea that was going to happen, and I'm still not sure why it did. Thank God I had already written the review for the game before I read the credits. I don't think I ?could have comfortably scored it otherwise. 

After that, the me stripping inside of an exploding M??ax Scoville gif happened. Then sometime after that, the me as a Seaman-like cat drinking? from a toilet gif happened, and after that, the cake pops gif happened, and after that, I was seen counseling Sonic on his disassociative identity disorde??r issues. Then my Constructoid persona ended up in a custom made level in the upcoming 3DS title Pushmo. Finally, the Max Scoville h??aving sex with ??me as a pinata gif was born.&??nbsp;I tho??ught that I'd finally seen it all.

I was wrong. McflyGold/TaraLongGif just took things to the next level. I am now a part of the greatest video ever made. If I disappear forever after this post, you'll know why. It's all going to be downhill from here??. 

The post Someone put me in the best video ever made appeared first on Destructoid.