This game doesn't really feel like it justifies its existence. One way it tried to do so was its story, something unseen in any previous game that I wish had stayed that way. I don't need an uninteresting VN between my rhythm games that lacks the quirkiness and charm that the little bits around individual games had in previous titles (also, I hate Tibby).
The game keeps this padding up for the first thirty or so games, which are essentially extended practices played to jingles in comparison to the "real" games later on. Cut out the entire first section before the Lush Tower and this immediately becomes a better game.
Eventually, it picked up a bit, despite the majority of games being recycled from the older titles. I understand why this was done, and why we couldn't have a fully original game, and that this is a collection and celebration, but it just doesn't come through. The new games around this point actually start to improve greatly, though there's not many of them. Also, the single point I'll give to the story: it was cute how it contextualized the remixes having themes (unfortunately, limited to just this middle section).
Then we're back to the inferior format for Heaven World, and it ends with a whimper (I was fully expecting a remix with every game, and the existing larger remixes are already a not-so-cohesive mishmash, so why not at that point). A "full moveset" Karate Man was a cool idea though.
This game really feels like it was trying its hardest to get me to not like it in the entire first section, gave up for the middle, then tried again at the end. It's neat to have a collection like this and get a few new games in the process (which were hit or miss), but I would've rather just had a smaller scale "Rhythm Heaven Mini" eShop title with only the new games and no story or returning games over what we got. Sometimes less is more.
The game keeps this padding up for the first thirty or so games, which are essentially extended practices played to jingles in comparison to the "real" games later on. Cut out the entire first section before the Lush Tower and this immediately becomes a better game.
Eventually, it picked up a bit, despite the majority of games being recycled from the older titles. I understand why this was done, and why we couldn't have a fully original game, and that this is a collection and celebration, but it just doesn't come through. The new games around this point actually start to improve greatly, though there's not many of them. Also, the single point I'll give to the story: it was cute how it contextualized the remixes having themes (unfortunately, limited to just this middle section).
Then we're back to the inferior format for Heaven World, and it ends with a whimper (I was fully expecting a remix with every game, and the existing larger remixes are already a not-so-cohesive mishmash, so why not at that point). A "full moveset" Karate Man was a cool idea though.
This game really feels like it was trying its hardest to get me to not like it in the entire first section, gave up for the middle, then tried again at the end. It's neat to have a collection like this and get a few new games in the process (which were hit or miss), but I would've rather just had a smaller scale "Rhythm Heaven Mini" eShop title with only the new games and no story or returning games over what we got. Sometimes less is more.