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The Nintendo Direct for March 2025 was likely the company's final presentation focused on Switch 1 games, and the announcements were the absolute peak of late-generation Nintendo, where the company's all about releasing experimental titles and new entries in long-dormant cult classic series. Nowhere was that more evident than with Rhythm Heaven Groove, a franchise comeback that fans have waited a decade for.
If you don't know what Rhythm Heaven is, Nintendo made this debut trailer exactly for you, explaining the basic concepts of the series. There are a series of minigames featuring goofy little cartoon situations, and all you've gotta do is tap buttons in time with the events on-screen and the music track backing each stage. Take the charm of a WarioWare microgame, then give it an extended musical element, and you'll basically have the idea.
The original Rhythm Heaven – or rather, Rhythm Tengoku – never left Japan after its original release on the GBA in 2006, but its import-friendly nature meant it gained a lot of attention among hardcore Nintendo fans in the west. The publisher eventually brought the 2008 DS sequel out worldwide as simply Rhythm Heaven, properly introducing the series to Nintendo fans outside of Japan, and the Wii and 3DS sequels further cemented Rhythm Heaven's legacy as top-shelf entertainment for fans of cute, quirky, and tough-as-nails gaming challenges.
All four Rhythm Heaven games released within the space of a decade, but now it's been 10 years – and nearly two console generations – since Megamix on 3DS. That's why the announcement of Rhythm Heaven Groove during today's Direct has fans absolutely frothing.
"AFTER 10 YEARS WE FINALLY WON," as the top comment on the YouTube trailer puts it. "FUCK SWITCH 2 - ALL I CARE ABOUT IS RHYTHM HEAVEN GROOVE," one redditor says. "ITS BACK ITS FUCKING BACK," as one person on Twitter puts it. Search "Rhythm Heaven" on your social media platform of choice and you'll see much the same: a whole lot of all-caps screaming and no shortage of celebratory profanity.
The one caveat to all this excitement is that Rhythm Heaven Groove is not set to launch until 2026. But hey, if series fans have waited this long, they can last one more year.
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