I have mixed feelings on this one (yet it's still good)
First off, as someone who LOVES story in video games, Rhythm Heaven absolutely does not need one. The story felt in the way of the actual game, and I don't feel anything for any of the characters in them (except for MAYBE Trey). The story, characters, and dialogue just made me :| most of the time.
This game's gimmick is that it has taken games from all over the series in one one! To properly tell you how I feel about the gameplay, I must first tell you my story with this game. I was SUPER pumped to play this game that after I finished Fever, I even replayed all of Tengoku with all superbs in one day. And then I played the first lot of games, and they were crappy prequels. They were shorter, more barebones, and the songs were worse. The new games were okay, but I really liked ones like First Contact. I then got to Donut Land, only to find out the old games they took were just, the old games remade/ported to Megamix! I was ecstatic because they were GOOD! I was still depressed about the lack of remixes, and there were still shitty prequels after Donut Land, but they Lush Tower they had given all the prequels a sequel akin to the original versions! AND REMIXES!
The game got so much better by Heaven World it was insane. I was enjoying myself a lot more, and it had old bangers like Lockstep and Cheer Readers, and new ones like Pajama Party, Blue Bear, and Kitties! I only enjoy being able to buy cute collectibles and extra rhythm games, even if 4/6 of them are from Fever, and the collectibles and purchasable music replacing the rewards you get for getting a perfect (and you only unlock perfects after finishing Lush Woods). I also love the inclusion of the Challenge Train is also great, since I've basically mastered all the returning rhythm games it's nice to still have some challenges relating to them.
All of the songs except for (most) of the prequels are great, it's Rhythm Heaven after all. One thing I learned TODAY though, is that this game actually has more than 1 lyrical remix rhythm game, but for some reason wasn't localized and they were just instrumental. The music is still good though, it would have to be for a rhythm game.
It's very interesting how much I had to say about this game in comparison to the earlier titles in the series. It's an alright game, it functions, but I just cannot get the bad taste in my mouth after the terrible first impression. I also don't like the redesigns they gave to the characters in Shoot-Em-Up, Fan Club, and The Dazzles, it was almost like they wanted to give each Rhythm Heaven generation a different "art-style" despite DS and Fever looking the same with it's characters. But after I finished it, I like the game a lot more now, despite it still being probably my least favorite of the series. I really hope there's a new Rhythm Heaven game, and I also hope it goes back to the old formula, with the exception of keeping the Challenge Train.

Man I liked it, chaotic Japanese rhythm game nonsense at its wariowaresque weirdest. At times, a little frustrating, but it was definitely a skill issue. Attempting to play the incredibly broken PaRappa port for psp recently gave me a whole new appreciation for how tight this game is. This was fun to pick up and put down over the course of a couple months, and the story progression was engaging and rewarding enough that I felt compelled to finish it rather than letting it languish in the void of unfinished games that are fun, but not so gripping that i devote the entirety of my playtime to them. Worth a playthrough.

Played from – to: (2023-03-12 – 2023-03-22) – Nintendo 3DS.
‣ 9/10 – A rhythm game harder than Sekiro, first of its kin to make my thumb hurt.
‣ Thoughts: Firstly, I had no idea what a behemoth of rhythm mania this game is. Secondly, I don’t know where this game comes from, if it’s a sequel, a prequel or a special collection, but I love this megamix of mini-games. Apart from the magnificent original soundtracks, levels, remixes, I really enjoyed how forgiving this game is. It’s all about having fun, and if you start to struggle, pay some coin, and never suffer again. It’s a great balance that keeps you going, and as the game says: Keeps you smiling. However, no matter how fun and fabulous these rhythm games are, there are a few (fuck you lockstep) that simply melt your understanding of what a beat is and quickly make you want to punch a hole in your desk. In any case, it’s the perfect balance between happiness and pure rage. Rarely do games exists just to make your day brighter. There’s complexity here, sure, but in all seriousness, you just jam to the beat and plow through amazing mini-games. This is probably a well-known thing now, but I felt like the game ended twice just to witness a got you moment and get thrown into a new gauntlet of never-seen-before levels. The amount of content in this megamix is something that new titles today barely even bother producing and putting effort into. Even after truly finishing the game, I noticed that there were three extra rows of mini-games that I had missed, which undoubtedly made me scoff in a good way. Overall, Rhythm Heaven Megamix is a brilliant game that never ceased to amaze me throughout my playthrough, and I can easily see myself back on it to play a few of my favorites. The hole in one is goated.

É engraçado porque eu decidi rejogar Megamix logo que descobri que eu conseguia pular minigames caso eu falhasse 3 vezes - eu fiquei travado antes porque eu reiniciava antes de registrar a falha. No fim, eu fiz todos os jogos de primeira e finalmente cheguei ao fim dele.

Megamix, assim como WarioWare Gold, provavelmente é a versão definitiva de Rhythm Heaven. Ele não tem tudo, mas ele tem TANTA COISA que nem dá pra acreditar. É incrível como essa franquia consegue trazer tantos conceitos diferentes em um dos jogos de ritmo mais naturais e interessantes já feitos. Joguem Rhythm Heaven.

TL;DR: if you have a DS or a Wii, Rhythm Heaven/Rhythm Heaven Fever are definitely tighter games and my preferred way to experience the minigames. But it's a super solid overall package, and a great introduction point. If you've played it and liked it, definitely give Rhythm Heaven (the DS one) a go, as even the games you already know will be completely different due to the unique mechanics that game uses.

The good:
- Challenge mode is awesome. It's so hard. Monster mode is the worst thing to ever have happened to me, I've never been good about getting perfects and never cared to. But it's a lot of fun.
- EVERY rhythm game from the series is here, pretty much. A bunch of awesome side games, plus all the iconic minigames you know and love from DS and Fever. Plus some new versions of old classics, new minigames altogether (albeit few), and new remixes!
- Given the above, it follows that the game is chock full of bangers.
- Just getting new Rhythm Heaven entries is so important to me and I really hope we get one on Switch. I feel like the rhythm game genre is picking steam back up again, so let's hope!
- An easy way to experience all your favorite games on the go and share them to your friends. I'm a Rhythm Heaven evangelist so this is key for me.

The bad:
- I'm a big fan of the unique DS controls, and it saddened me so much to not have the option to use them for DS games. it's a 3DS! You could easily do it!! There's no excuse. The simplified tap is a travesty.
- The story and characters definitely overstay their welcome. They should've taken a page from Rhythm Heaven Wii, where there's characters but they only come in every once in a while between games and even on rhythm games as a fun surprise, and thus remain loved and iconic. This also gives a lot more protagonism to the rhythm games' characters, which is how you get monkeys, Karate Joe, the Ringside characters, etc. to be so iconic. I think this is a big part of the charm of the series and thus is my biggest gripe with this one.

The neutral:
- What is UP with the goat minigame? Serious question, why does it exist???????