[30/10/16] Game Review: Rhythm Paradise Megamix

Hello, everybody! Today's review is focused on a game that has only recently come to the UK. So let's get started, shall we?

Rhythm Paradise Megamix [2015/16, 3DS]

Source: Wikipedia

Developer: Nintendo SPD

Publisher: Nintendo

Overview

At its core, Rhythm Paradise Megamix is like the three other games in the Rhythm Paradise series. You press buttons to a beat and get some nice visuals along with it. However, Megamix has the largest library of games at 118 games - more that twice as much as the previous two, which had 50 games each.

Story

This game's story really doesn't take itself seriously - it even states that outright after the tutorial! But it's a sweet one - about Tibby, the, uh... purple bear... thing, maturing during an adventure. He falls down from his home in Heaven World (or as he spells it, Hevven World) and proceeds to go on a journey to the tallest nearby object and start climbing it, following the advice given to him by his mother.

Not once, but twice does this game try to trick you into thinking you've beaten it: first after you clear the tower, Lush Tower, and second after you beat the six other towers.

But when Heaven World is reached, the skies are all gloomy and everybody heard a spooky voice coming from Tibby's house... well, his palace. He's the prince of Heaven World. Anyway, it turns out his mum... had hiccups! Nope, the story really never takes itself seriously. But Tibby's still matured from the adventure (which his mum missed entirely, by the way) and he helped everyone he came across, so there's that.

Anyway, I'll give this story...

8/10

It's a sweet story that at heart is ridiculous, even MORE so than Paper Mario: Color Splash. I like that in a story - especially when everything seems to be getting darker overall, these stories really stand out from the others!

Gameplay

Okay, then. This is where the game truly shines. Each of the 118 rhythm games has a unique premise (well, most of them.) This can be like taking pictures of a race, a rabbit jumping on sea creatures' heads to get to the moon or even a group of monkeys acting as a singer's fan club! The controls are simple: using ,and any direction on theControl Pad, you press the buttons to a beat! On the Touch Screen, you can see an indicator of your timing - left is early, right is late and middle, with rainbow stars, is perfect timing.

You can get Skill Stars by not messing up when you're about to get them and getting perfect timing on the specific beat that the star is set to. How well you do also gives you a numeric score at the end of the rhythm game, which gives you one of three ranks.

Below 60 points, you get Try Again - unless there are some parts you were good at, in which case you may be pushed up above 60 points.

Between 60 and 80 points, you get OK. You can progress to the next stage, but don't get a medal.

Above 80 points, you get Superb. This is the best rank - you can progress and you get that stage's medal if it's your first Superb on that stage.

There's also a mode called Challenge Land, where you play through stages in order, each having a different goal (finish without making many mistakes, get a certain number of points or land perfect beats to escape from a monster.) In asdition, these stages are usually sped up. Especially the last few challenges...

Also in Challenge Land, you have the Perfect Challenge. A stage that has a Superb rank saved for it is randomly picked. You must play through without making any mistakes whatsoever. They are kind enough to give you three tries, but still... it's REALLY hard.

(An additional side note: two of the three purchaseanle GBA games feature instant failures - if you fail to jump at a rising portion in Night Walk or get a question wrong in Quiz Show, the stage immediately ends and you get 0 points.)

Anyway, I give the gameplay of Rhythm Paradise Megamix...

8/10

It's good and solid. But some things do bring it down, like the Monster Goals in Challenge Land. And Cosmic Rhythm Rally. Actually, you know what? It's all Cosmic Rhythm Rally. That stage is so disproportionately HARD!

Replay value

This game has amazing replay value. There's a mode called Figure Fighter VS, where you challenge other characters (and if you have StreetPass turned on, other players!) in a game of Figure Fighter (one of the stages.) You can win rewards, like silver and gold turnips for the goat-feeding pachinko game.

In the goat-feeding pachinko game, you feed a goat. (Shocking, right?) If you feed it enough turnips, it'll level up. When it reaches certain levels (10, 20, 30, etc.) you can get a mascot - a little sprite representation of the characters in the game that can appear on loading screens. It probably doesn't award mascots every ten levels, but I'm not to know. My goat is still below level 60. (it goes up to level 200.)

So, with that in mind, I give the replay value of this game...

10/10

Fun. Really fun! The repetivity of the goat-feeding pachinko game would be a problem, but it's not enough to drag the game down from a 10 here - this game has huge replay value!

So, taking into account all of the scores I have given this game, I am happy to award it...

Rhythm Paradise Megamix is an amazing game - and it's finally out over here! You can get it on the eShop, or if you live here in Europe, you can get a physical copy as well. On the eShop (at the time I last checked), it is £24.99.

Anyway, that's all from me... today. Yep, since tomorrow's Halloween, it's two posts in a row! See you then!