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.