Software:Rhythm Heaven Groove

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Short description: 2026 video game

Rhythm Heaven Groove
North American promotional artwork
Developer(s)Nintendo EPD[lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Kazuyoshi Osawa
Producer(s)Kouichi Kawamoto
Takayuki Shimamura
Yoshikazu Yamashita
Tsunku
Programmer(s)Takafumi Masaoka
Naoki Masuda
Kosuke Teshima
Artist(s)Ko Takeuchi
Kyohei Seki
Composer(s)Tsunku
Koji Kamada
Kaoru Okubo
Rei Kamiya
Shinji Ushiroda
Haruki Matsumoto
SeriesRhythm Heaven
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch
Release
  • WW: July 2, 2026
Genre(s)Rhythm, music
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Rhythm Heaven Groove, known as Rhythm Paradise Groove in PAL regions and Rhythm Tengoku: Miracle Stars in Asia,[lower-alpha 2] is a 2026 rhythm game developed by Nintendo and TNX and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven series, following Rhythm Heaven Megamix (2015) for the Nintendo 3DS. The game released worldwide on July 2, 2026, being the first new game in the Rhythm Heaven series in over a decade.

As such in previous entries, Rhythm Heaven Groove is a collection of rhythm minigames that each challenges players to play the game in time to the rhythm primarily using audio cues. The game features 80 single-player rhythm minigames as well as 30 multiplayer rhythm minigames. In addition to the main rhythm games, the game features an RPG-like "Beatspell" game mode where players use rhythm and use different button combinations to cast spells to defeat monsters. The game features music composed by Japanese musician and longtime series composer Tsunku and features vocals by various artists such as Ado. Rhythm Heaven Groove received generally favorable reviews from critics.

Gameplay

File:Rhythm Heaven Groove Hoop Trundling.jpg
One of the rhythm games in Rhythm Heaven Groove, "Hoop Trundling". Players control the character on the far-left by pressing the A button to jump through hoops in time to the rhythm of the other characters.
See also: Gameplay of the Rhythm Heaven series

Rhythm Heaven Groove follows the gameplay of previous Rhythm Heaven entries, where players have to complete a series of rhythm minigames in time with the music, similar to "microgames" in the WarioWare series.[2] While visual cues are present, players are encouraged to follow the beat of the music to get a sense of the rhythm.[3] Rhythm Heaven Groove features 80 single-player rhythm games and over 30 multiplayer rhythm games.[4]

Rhythm Heaven Groove features 80 single-player rhythm minigames, which are distributed in sixteen sets of five rhythm minigames, each containing four rhythm minigames and one Remix consisting of the games played in said set.[5] The last set contains five Remixes consisting of the rhythm minigames found throughout the previous sets.[citation needed] After each rhythm minigame is completed, rankings based on 3 broad categories of performance are given: "Keep Tryi the player failed and has to repeat the level, "Good" or "OK" indicates that the player did well enough to pass to the next level, and "Amazing" or "Superb" indicates exceptional performance, giving the player a medal which can be used to unlock extra minigames.[6] Levels with an "Amazing" or "Superb" rank may be randomly selected for an opportunity to go for a Perfect run, where players have three attempts to clear the level without making mistakes. Completing the Perfect run successfully unlocks bonus items such as comics and stories. After the player clears the initial Perfect run, the player can attempt Perfect runs for the given level at any time. Clearing the Perfect runs 3 times in a row unlocks Night Mode, which challenges the players to rely exclusively on audio cues as the visuals are completely absent.[7][8]

The game features text-to-speech used for the accessibility of blind and visually impaired players.[9] When turned on, on-screen text, as well as audio descriptions, is read aloud by the game's mascot, Li'l Miss Reeds.[10]

Development and release

Rhythm Heaven Groove was developed by mainly by Nintendo EPD and Tsunku's TNX,[11] with additional work done by Intelligent Systems.[12] Kazuyoshi Osawa, the director for the first two games in the series (Rhythm Tengoku and Rhythm Heaven),[13] assumed the same role for Groove.[14] Series veterans Tsunku, who composed the music throughout the series, and Ko Takeuchi [ja; ja; 竹内高], who also was the artist for the WarioWare games, assumed the roles of Miracle Producer and Art Director, respectively.[13][14]

In 2020, series producer Tsunku expressed his hopes on a new entry in the Rhythm Heaven series for the Nintendo Switch, stating that a new game would work well on the console, advocating for fans to express their interest to Nintendo.[15] In 2025, during the initial announcement, Tsunku was revealed to return as the producer[16] and composer, where he worked on the game without his vocal cords due to recovering from laryngeal cancer in 2014.[17]

Music

The game features guest singers such as Yui Sakurai [ja; ja; 櫻井優衣] from Fruits Zipper, who sang "My Telepathy! Watashi no Atsui Kosen",[lower-alpha 3][18] and Ado, who sang "Love me forever!"[19]

Announcement and release

Rhythm Heaven Groove was first announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation in March 2025,[17] showcasing gameplay through various rhythm-based minigames and revealing the use of various art styles instead of one unified style.[20] The game was revealed alongside Software:Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, with both being the first new entries for their respective series in over a decade.[21] The presentation also revealed the release window of 2026, around 11 years since the original release of Rhythm Heaven Megamix (2015) in Japan (which was a compilation of minigames from past entries), and around 15 years since the last all-new entry to the series, Rhythm Heaven Fever (2011).[22][16]

On April 9, 2026, Nintendo showcased one of the rhythm minigames, "Slice N Dice Kitchen", a rhythm game about chopping vegetables, through the Nintendo Today! app and revealed that the game will release on July 2, 2026 worldwide.[23] It was priced at US$39.99.[24][25]

More information was shown in another Nintendo Direct presentation on June 9, 2026, where it was revealed that the game will have 80 new rhythm games in its single-player mode, and over 30 in its multiplayer mode.[4] The presentation also revealed a role-playing game-style game mode called "Beatspell",[26][27] where players cast damaging and healing spells by pressing different buttons to the beat, defeating enemies while progressing through a dungeon until they are met with the boss.[28] A Nintendo Treehouse live stream that took place immediately after the Direct showcased several of the new rhythm games and game modes.[4][27] A free demo containing the first four rhythm games and the first Remix of the single-player mode,[29] and one of the multiplayer rhythm games, Rhythm Tweezers, was released on June 22, 2026.[30] On the same day as the game's release, seven music tracks were added to the Nintendo Music app as a "special release".[31]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic82/100[lower-alpha 5][33]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Eurogamer4/5[3]
Famitsu8/10, 8/10, 9/10, 9/10[38]
Game Informer8.25/10[7]
GameSpot8/10[36]
GamesRadar+4/5[11]
Giant Bomb4/5[37]
IGN9/10[6]
Nintendo Life8/10[5]
Shacknews8/10[34]

Critical reception

Rhythm Heaven Groove received "generally favorable" reviews on review aggregation website Metacritic,[33] and 85% of critics recommended the game on OpenCritic.[32] Four critics from the Japanese magazine Famitsu rated the game with two 8/10 and two 9/10 scores, bringing the total score to a 34/40.[38]

Sales

The game debuted at No. 1 in Japanese sales charts maintained by Famitsu, recording 393,378 copies sold in its first week, ahead of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Star Fox.[39] The game remained in the No. 1 spot for an additional two weeks[40][41] until it was pushed to second place by Splatoon Raiders.[42]

As of July 26 2026, the game has sold 674,592 physical copies in Japan.[42]

Notes

  1. ↑ Additional development by TNX and Intelligent Systems
  2. ↑ Known in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese as Rhythm Tengoku: Miracle Stars (Japanese: リズム天国 ミラクルスターズ, Hepburn: Rizumu Tengoku Mirakurusutāzu; Rhythm Tengoku: Miracle Stars). In Southeast Asia, it is still called Rhythm Heaven Groove.[1]
  3. ↑ Japanese: My Telepathy!私の熱い光線
  4. ↑ Score based on 78 reviews
  5. ↑ Score based on 93 reviews

References

  1. ↑ "Rhythm Heaven Groove | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo" (in en-SG). https://www.nintendo.com/sg/switch/bflta/index.html. 
  2. ↑ "Rhythm Heaven Groove has one of Nintendo's longest-suffering fandoms absolutely feasting: "AFTER 10 YEARS WE FINALLY WON"" (in en). 2025-03-27. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/rhythm-heaven-groove-has-one-of-nintendos-longest-suffering-fandoms-absolutely-feasting-after-10-years-we-finally-won/. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Donlan, Christian (2026-07-01). "Rhythm Paradise Groove is wonderful, and has a challenge that was so funny I thought we had lost my daughter for good and she'd never stop laughing" (in en). https://www.eurogamer.net/rhythm-paradise-groove-review. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Life, Nintendo (2026-06-09). "Rhythm Heaven Groove's Multiplayer Modes Look Like A Game Night Essential" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/06/rhythm-heaven-grooves-multiplayer-modes-look-like-a-game-night-essential. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Life, Nintendo (2026-07-01). "Review: Rhythm Heaven Groove (Switch) - A Low-Key Swansong And Perfect Mic-Drop For Switch 1" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch/rhythm-heaven-groove. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Thwaites, Sarah (2026-07-01). "Rhythm Heaven Groove Is a Superb Sequel That Expertly Capitalizes on the Captivating Energy of Its Excellent Music and Joyful Animations" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/rhythm-heaven-groove-review. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hilliard, Kyle (2026-07-02). "Rhythm Heaven Groove Review - Technique Is Solid" (in en). Game Informer. https://gameinformer.com/review/rhythm-heaven-groove/technique-is-solid. Retrieved 2026-07-01. 
  8. ↑ Valentine, Rebekah (2026-07-07). "Rhythm Heaven Groove Will Get Stuck In Your Head For Days" (in en-US). https://kotaku.com/rhythm-heaven-groove-the-kotaku-review-2000713421. 
  9. ↑ Biordi, Jordan (2026-07-01). "Rhythm Heaven Groove (Nintendo Switch 2) Review - CGMagazine" (in en-CA). https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/game/rhythm-heaven-groove-switch/. 
  10. ↑ "FEEL THE FLOW IN RHYTHM PARADISE GROOVE AVAILABLE NOW" (in en-US). https://nintendo.sa/feel-the-flow-in-rhythm-paradise-groove-available-now. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Taylor-Kent, Oscar (2026-07-01). "Rhythm Heaven Groove review: "I didn't expect this music game to have some of my favorite RPG combat of the year"" (in en). https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/rhythm-heaven-groove-review/. 
  12. ↑ "ゲーム | INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS CO., LTD." (in ja). https://www.intsys.co.jp/. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Know Your Nintendo Developer: Rhythm Heaven Edition - Feature". http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/43146/know-your-nintendo-developer-rhythm-heaven-edition. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Aubrey, Dave (2026-07-24). "Rhythm Heaven Groove review: Nintendo's musical paradise makes a much needed return" (in en-US). https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/rhythm-heaven-paradise-groove-review/. 
  15. ↑ Wong, Alistair (April 9, 2020). "Rhythm Heaven Composer Tsunku Wants to Make Another Game" (in en-US). https://www.siliconera.com/rhythm-heaven-composer-tsunku-wants-to-make-another-game/. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Scullion, Chris (March 27, 2025). "Nintendo announces Rhythm Heaven Groove for Nintendo Switch" (in en-US). https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/rhythm-heaven-groove-has-been-announced-for-2026/. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Valentine, Rebekah (March 27, 2025). "Rhythm Heaven Is Bopping Onto Nintendo Switch at Long, Long Last" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/rhythm-heaven-is-bopping-onto-nintendo-switch-at-long-long-last. 
  18. ↑ バスタ木工 (2026-06-23). "『リズム天国 ミラクルスターズ』なんと「FRUITS ZIPPER」櫻井優衣さんによるボーカル楽曲も登場。つんく♂さんによる完全新作で、まさかの巡り合わせが実現" (in ja). https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/2606233b. 
  19. ↑ "『リズム天国』新作にAdo×つんく♂の新曲が収録。きっかけは『めちゃモテ I LOVE YOU』の歌ってみた動画 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com" (in ja). 2026-07-03. https://www.famitsu.com/article/202607/80229. 
  20. ↑ Cimaglio, Zachary (March 30, 2025). "New Rhythm Heaven Game Revealed for Switch" (in en). https://gamerant.com/rhythm-heaven-groove-nintendo-switch-release-window/. 
  21. ↑ Hilliard, Kyle (Mar 27, 2025). "Nintendo's Final Switch Direct Shows More Metroid And Announces New Rhythm Heaven And Tomodachi Life Games" (in en). Game Informer. https://gameinformer.com/nintendo-direct/2025/03/27/nintendos-final-switch-direct-shows-more-metroid-and-announces-new. Retrieved November 6, 2025. 
  22. ↑ Hannah, Zoe (2025-03-27). "New Rhythm Heaven game announced at Nintendo Direct" (in en). https://www.polygon.com/gaming/547833/new-rhythm-heaven-groove-announced/. 
  23. ↑ Life, Nintendo (2026-04-09). "Rhythm Heaven Groove Drums Up Switch Release Date" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/04/rhythm-heaven-groove-drums-up-switch-release-date. 
  24. ↑ Life, Nintendo (2026-04-09). "Rhythm Heaven Groove's Price Is A Welcome Surprise" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/04/rhythm-heaven-grooves-price-is-a-welcome-surprise. 
  25. ↑ Ratcliff, James (2026-04-11). "Upcoming Nintendo Switch Exclusive Game Has a Budget Price" (in en). https://gamerant.com/rhythm-heaven-groove-price-physical-preorder/. 
  26. ↑ Caballero, David (2026-06-09). "Rhythm Heaven Groove introduces a brand-new rhythmic RPG mode on Nintendo Switch 2" (in en). https://www.gamereactor.eu/rhythm-heaven-groove-introduces-a-brand-new-rhythmic-rpg-mode-on-nintendo-switch-2-1732453/. 
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Romano, Sal (2026-06-09). "Rhythm Heaven Groove 'Overview' trailer, screenshots" (in en-US). https://www.gematsu.com/2026/06/rhythm-heaven-groove-overview-trailer-screenshots. 
  28. ↑ 澤田, アツシ (2026-06-11). "新作『リズム天国 ミラクルスターズ』先行プレイ。あんなにタイミングがシビアな『リズム天国』なのに、今作は好きなリズムを創り出せる!?「与えられたリズムにノる」から「自らリズムを創る」体験へ". in 柳本, マリエ (in ja). https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/kikakuthetower/260611a. 
  29. ↑ Welsh, Oli (2026-06-23). "There's a demo out for Rhythm Heaven Groove and it's extremely fun" (in en). https://www.polygon.com/rhythm-heaven-groove-demo-switch/. 
  30. ↑ Life, Nintendo (2026-06-23). "PSA: Rhythm Heaven Groove "Starter Demo" Now Available On Switch" (in en-GB). https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/06/psa-rhythm-heaven-groove-starter-demo-now-available-on-switch. 
  31. ↑ Doolan, Liam (July 2, 2026). "Nintendo Music "Special Release" Update Adds Songs From The New Rhythm Heaven Game". https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/07/nintendo-music-special-release-update-adds-songs-from-the-new-rhythm-heaven-game. Retrieved July 2, 2026. 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "Rhythm Heaven Groove Reviews" (in en). July 2, 2026. https://opencritic.com/game/20399/rhythm-heaven-groove. 
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 "Rhythm Heaven Groove Reviews" (in en). https://www.metacritic.com/game/rhythm-heaven-groove/. 
  34. ↑ "Rhythm Heaven Groove review: A grand gaggle of groovy games" (in en). 2026-07-01. http://www.shacknews.com/article/149859/rhythm-heaven-groove-review-score. 
  35. ↑ "Rhythm Heaven Groove is the weirdest, goofiest, and most bizarre Nintendo Switch game of 2026 — but that's exactly why it's so much fun" (in en). 2026-07-01. https://www.techradar.com/gaming/rhythm-heaven-groove-review. 
  36. ↑ Watts, Steve (2026-07-01). "Nintendo's Wackiest New Game Feels Like The Devs Getting Away With Something" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/rhythm-heaven-groove-review-switch-2/. 
  37. ↑ "Rhythm Heaven Groove Review" (in en). 2026-07-01. https://giantbomb.com/reviews/rhythm-heaven-groove-review. 
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Famitsu review scores for July 5, 2026: Rhythm Heaven Groove earns 34/40 as Crazy Chain: Elpis no Kusari follows closely" (in en-US). 2026-07-06. https://otakukart.com/famitsu-review-scores-for-july-5-2026-rhythm-heaven-groove-earns-34-40-as-crazy-chain-elpis-no-kusari-follows-closely/. 
  39. ↑ "【ソフト＆ハード週間販売数】『リズム天国 ミラクルスターズ』が39万本を売り上げ首位スタート！ 『がんばれゴエモン大集合！』Switch2版＆PS5版もトップ10入り【6/29～7/5】" (in ja). Famitsu. July 9, 2026. https://www.famitsu.com/article/202607/80856. Retrieved July 9, 2026. 
  40. ↑ "【ソフト＆ハード週間販売数】『リズム天国 ミラクルスターズ』が2週連続で首位＆累計販売本数50万本を突破！ 『魔法少女ノ魔女裁判』など新作が6タイトルもランクイン【7/6～7/12】 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com" (in ja). https://www.famitsu.com/article/202607/81618. 
  41. ↑ "【ソフト＆ハード週間販売数】『リズム天国 ミラクルスターズ』が3週連続で首位獲得！ 『プロ野球スピリッツ2026』など新作4タイトルもトップ10入り【7/13～7/19】 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com" (in ja). https://www.famitsu.com/article/202607/82215. 
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 "【ソフト＆ハード週間販売数】『スプラトゥーン レイダース』が47万本を売り上げ首位スタート！ 国内累計販売本数では『トモコレ わくわく生活』が150万本、『マリオカート ワールド』が300万本を突破【7/20～7/26】 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com" (in ja). https://www.famitsu.com/article/202607/82960. 

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