Game review: Rhythm Paradise Groove (Switch 2)

The great thing about video games is the fact that there is a wide variety of titles that cater to gamers of all skill levels. For example, the Tony Hawk series caters to someone like me. I'm a huge gamer who lived through the late '90s and early '00s, and I love skate and punk rock culture. 

However, the Tony Hawk games don't appeal to my Mum because she tried them recently, and they were way too hard. Well, a novice like my Mum doesn't need to complain anymore because she's now an expert at Rhythm Paradise Groove. 

As I said before, Tony Hawk games can be hard because you need to remember complicated combos to get high scores. My poor Mum tried the game after seeing 'Reader Gamer Mum' on TV3, but she wasn't able to play the game successfully at all. 

When it comes to Rhythm Paradise Groove, this is Nintendo's latest edition of the franchise, which is available now for both the original Switch and Switch 2 consoles. The reason my Mum enjoys this game so much is that she only needs to press one button to play!

Rhythm Paradise Groove is an old-school style of rhythm game where you just have to press the A button at the correct time. It's not like Guitar Hero games, where you have to press buttons alongside licensed music, but you do have to press A to keep the activities alive. 

Before you play the game, however, the development team warns players that they may need to adjust the game's settings if they are playing it on a TV. Since precise timing is needed to succeed, the game checks to see if your TV has any input lag. Thankfully, my TV was fine, so no adjustments were needed for me to play it. 

Once you get this down, the game has two modes of play. First, there's the Solo mode where you have to play through the game by yourself. Only one mini-game is unlocked at the start, but more mini-games become available as you progress and succeed. 

The first level consists of four stages and a final fifth stage that combines all the elements of the previous stages. The first stage is where you control a funny white creature, and you have to press the A button in order for it to jump over the hoops. 

The timing of the mini-games can be hard at first, but you quickly pick up the rhythm once you listen to the sound effects or music that is playing in the background. Some of my favourite stages in the solo mode include controlling a dog catching a Frisbee, avoiding lightning, kicking a football, and more. 

The cheeky thing about this game, though, is that it throws some curveballs to distract you from missing the rhythm. This can be done by temporarily blocking the screen for a few seconds, so you have to listen to the music or sound effects to stay in rhythm. 

As entertaining as the solo mode was, I actually had the most fun playing with my Mum and brother in the multiplayer mode. The cool thing about the multiplayer mode is the fact that all of the games here are different from the ones in the solo mode. Arguably, I think the multiplayer mini-games are much more enjoyable!

The multiplayer mini-game that got the most laughs from my family is called 'Cake Wait'. It is here when you have to wait for 10 seconds before you snatch a piece of cake at the dinner table. I was able to time to 10 correctly, but my Mum and brother kept missing it, and the accompanying fail animation is so funny. 

The other multiplayer mini-game that made me laugh is 'Volleyball-ish'. This is a co-op mini-game where my brother and I had to keep the ball alive before winning with a decisive spike. My brother had the worst timing, and I had to save the ball multiple times due to his errors!

As fun as Rhythm Paradise Groove is, the only negative thing I can say about the game is its price. For a game that is just a bunch of short mini-games, Rhythm Paradise costs around $74.00 NZD. That being said, it does offer replay value, and the multiplayer mode is lots of fun with family and friends. 

Overall, Rhythm Paradise Groove is a blast to play if you're having a party with family and/or friends. Sure, the solo mode can still be fun, but the laughs are much more enjoyable with the ones you love around you.

Verdict: 8.0/10