Rhythm Heaven has always been a difficult game to master. This isn't Warioware or Hatsune Miku. This game requires precise timing, and you must be really in tune with the beat. I had to physically tap my foot or nod my head to keep myself in rhythm for some of these minigames.

The game has a typical Nintendo-esque storyline in the vein of Warioware, with goofy characters. The art style is nice and cute, with skippable dialogue, which most people will probably do. Each section contains four mini-games that you must pass to move on to the next set of four mini-games. These games are some new and mostly old from the previous two games. Mini-games require you to press the A or B button or tap the stylus (this is an optional alternative). Being on the beat is a bit more forgiving than previous mini-games, and scoring is a lot more generous. If you are just a couple of points from passing, the game will give them to you out of pity, and the boss stages will let you pass if you spend 30 coins for at least trying. My biggest gripe with the previous games was the lockout from progression, which would make you want to quit playing.

My favorite mini-games are the ones that have something physical to track. The LumberBear one is a perfect example. Logs get laid out in front of you, and each mini-game has a second type of beat to follow. There is usually a fast-paced rhythm and then one where it requires longer pauses or rapid-fire button presses (in the form of three most of the time). The first tower you play is actually much harder than the later towers because the second version of these mini-games is longer, which allows you to miss more and still pass. There is a practice mode before each game starts and if you miss too much the bottom screen will show a rhythm pattern for you to follow. This helps as some patterns are just hard to get down. Again, another way for the series to be more forgiving this time around. 

There are some mini-games I was just terrible at or weren't designed in a way that made staying on beat intuitive. There is always a visual or audio cue, but sometimes the mini-games will trick you and pull the camera out, obscure your view, or cut the audio, and this requires mastering the mini-game. It all becomes muscle memory at a certain point. This isn't a casual rhythm game or mini-game compilation like we're used to. Can we call this a hardcore rhythm game?

You can unlock trophies and other extra mini-games in the museum and cafe. This never really interested me, as this isn't a game I wanted to finish 100%. Once you finally finish the story mode, there's no real reason to come back to this game unless you really love punishment. I found this game wasn't relaxing at all for how tense and focused you have to be to play it and pass the story stages. Even with the goofy characters and skippable dialogue, the story mode is quite long, with seven towers to finish. The graphics are great, and each mini-game looks unique and charming. This has that wacky Nintendo signature all over it. If you disliked previous Rhythm Heaven games, I would give this a shot since it is more forgiving and the timing has been somewhat refined.

My first experience with Rhythm Heaven, and what an introduction. If the goal of this collection of top hits was to show me why Rhythm Heaven is so special, it definitely achieved that with Megamix.

Although the gameplay is very simple, with just a few button presses in sync with the rhythm, it is incredibly fulfilling to find yourself in the flow. This is largely due to the exceptional audio design, captivating music, and charming visuals that come together to give this package a distinct personality and offer some of the most gratifying experiences in the rhythm genre.

This is also a meaty package with over 100 consistently excellent mini-games that offer replay value with perfect scores that you can achieve, which are super stressful but very satisfying to do. Moreover, there are numerous remixes of these mini-games that will truly challenge your skills.

My only few complaints with this game are that the structure in story mode sometimes pads itself out, and the coins feel like a band-aid solution to the inconsistent difficulty curve that creeps in out of nowhere every once in a while, especially when you get to the gates as you progress through the story mode.

In conclusion, I now understand why Rhythm Heaven is so beloved. Megamix has provided me with an exceptional rhythm experience that I will always remember, and it has sparked my interest in exploring this genre further. I highly recommend it if you have the opportunity to play it.

Replaying this game, and playing it right after Fever, I think this follow up is more quantity than quality.

It's apparent that Nintendo SPD wanted to do something a bit different with Rhythm Heaven. The beginning section of the game (everything prior to Lush Tower) is almost more of a tutorial if you're coming from prior Rhythm Heaven games. Most of the minigames, with a few exceptions, are easier versions of existing minigames from prior entries in the series. Air Rally and Sneaky Spirits, for example, come with completely different background music and are a bit shorter. I'm assuming this was done to be more accessible, but I thought the original versions of those games were accessible enough. Part of the problem I have with this choice is that it makes the beginning of the game feel a bit sluggish. In addition to this change, there is a noticeable lack of remixes until you get to Lush Tower. This, and the addition of a "story" (it really is just flavor text), amounts to what I think is the worst part of this game. While other Rhythm Heavens would quickly push you to the next minigame and always have a new minigame right around the corner, this game chooses to modify existing minigames, in-between each one inserting flavor text that contributes to a story you really don't care about. I don't like to sound harsh, but really, the story doesn't take itself seriously and for a game focused on short bursts of gameplay, why should you take it seriously?

I think throughout the first two hours it's kinda apparent that there is a lack of new minigames, at least as much as Fever introduced within the same time span. Which I think isn't an overall bad decision. This game is a "megamix" after all, and I can't really say I don't enjoy playing through these games again. There is also a good amount of new minigames that this game brings to the table too, and I really enjoyed those. I just think the choice to use minigames we have already played before, interspersed with small cutscenes, drags the pacing down a bit. As well as the decision to not include remixes every 4 minigames.

One thing I really noticed was how easy this game was compared to Fever. Fever had remixes that repeatedly felt like a challenge every time I got to them, while this one I was kinda able to do in one go. Even the "Final Remix" only took me two tries, while Fever's "Remix 10" took me over 10 attempts. Maybe it could just be me getting better at these games, but I think overall the game felt a bit easier compared to the rest of the series.

Also, for replayability, I think the museum is a great way to lay out all of the minigames similar to how they were laid out in other games. I'm just a tad disappointed there isn't an easier way to get to here, maybe through the file menu or something. There's also the shop, where you can buy past minigames that didn't appear in the main story of Megamix. Some of these I really would've loved to see in the main story, but I'm at least glad they're here.

Rhythm Heaven games are always a delight to play. The combination of WarioWare style "microgames" with rhythm-based gameplay is such a unique concept that hasn't been replicated much elsewhere! Per its title, the majority of Megamix's rhythm game offerings come from past games in the series with only a few new additions. Since I had only played the DS game before, I had a great time with this one as most of the games were new to me!

All of the rhythm games this time are tied together by a story mode that feels like it doesn't really need to be there. There is also a fair amount of side content and items to collect with in-game currency. Unfortunately, this side of the game suffers as the currency system is completely unbalanced. At the end of the game, even after going for all Perfects, I still did not have nearly enough money to collect all of the in-game side items. The only way to obtain them all would be to just repeat the rhythm games ad-nauseum which is not fun in the slightest.

But my quibbles don't distract from the fact that this a great rhythm heaven game! You know what you are signing up for. The rhythm games are still the star of the show and don't disappoint.

Favorite Tracks:

Airboarder, That's Paradise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6iDWVtvFrI&list=PLgp5C9zuvc2JPYdfF5bM9cq0JVsm3jBjh&index=15

Donut Remix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxoHBJoRc0M&list=PLgp5C9zuvc2JPYdfF5bM9cq0JVsm3jBjh&index=54

Pajama Party: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NAjxs1Cews&list=PLgp5C9zuvc2JPYdfF5bM9cq0JVsm3jBjh&index=69

Final Remix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHFV1gdkezM&list=PLgp5C9zuvc2JPYdfF5bM9cq0JVsm3jBjh&index=93

Staff Credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Paqculru4wA

I've had an amazing gaming session with this; I really love Rhythm Heaven series, and in consequence, I loved this one as well. However, you can tell it was approached differently since it loses a lot of difficulty if you've played the previous Rhythm Paradise games (which is my case, as I've played them all quite a bit). I miss more remixes and some mini-games that are tough to pass, like "Love Rap" from Wii or "Remix 8" from DS, since the most challenging ones (except for the last phase of "Karate Mane") are from previous releases and I already have them mastered. Its best point is that it's loaded with content and still feels like a Rhythm Paradise game. I also really like the indicator of whether you've gone over tempo or entered too early; it's very useful, and they've used it as another mechanic. Let's see how many perfects I end up getting; for now, I think I've done more than half.