We're all familiar with the rhythm games Guitar Hero and Rock Band. These games involve flashing lights, colorful buttons, complicated note patterns, and cramping gameplay. They had their reign during the rhythm game craze, but were plagued with bland gameplay, changed up only by the songs they used.
However, a single game manages to stand out from the rest, and that is Rhythm Tengoku for the Gameboy Advance. This game doesn't use an imitation of an instrument or yesterday's top 40 songs. Instead, it focuses on the fun that any type of music can bring to a game.
The basic premise of Rhythm Tengoku is that there are over 30 different minigames that you can play. These games are overly simplistic, remeniscent of the microgames of WarioWare, but they each have something to do with rhythm. From punching objects in time to the beat of a music to shooting arrows into ghosts at the end of 8 beats, Rhythm Tengoku offers a variety of ways to make tapping with the metronome fun.

Music: 10
In a game that relies completely on sound for its entertainment value, Rhythm Tengoku has music that is extremely catchy, and will get stuck in your head after just a couple plays. Each minigame features its own unique track, plus remixes that also have their own songs. This totals to over 40 different songs that you can find in the game and enjoy listening to.
There are virtually no complaints that I have with the music included in the game. All of it is original; nothing is taken or covered from today's pop songs. Many of them are funny and whimsical, which perfectly matches the lighthearted nature of the game. A couple of them even feature recorded lyrics (although they're in Japanese), and adds a dash of professional flavor into the game.
After completing the games in a "set," the game takes all of those games and throws them together in a remix. The remix is a whole new song, designed to take the gameplays of the five games in the set and seamlessly mix them into one catchy song. These are some of the songs I enjoyed the most, because you have to be on your toes when the games change, while still keeping the beat in your head.
If you tried playing the game with your eyes closed and just listening to the music, you could get through most of it without trouble. The game uses audio, rather than visual, cues to tell you what buttons to press and when. There are really only 3 or so games that I can name that require you to see the screen in order to pass it. Although, since each game plays exactly the same each time, you could just memorize what to press and just listen to the music.

Graphics: 7
Rhythm Tengoku is host to a wide variety of seemingly random, but funny, graphics in its game. I suppose that's reasonable, considering that the game was only released in Japan. In one game, you hit baseballs to the beat of the song while the camera zooms in and out of the baseball player. Then the character's head goes off screen, and when it comes back, something completely odd, like a rabbit head, replaces it. Changes like these offer a refreshing comedic break from the monotony that the game would normally have.
Playing the games by ear is simple, but playing them purely by sight is a much more difficult task. Each of the games was designed to run on hearing, and not sight. While the graphics are timed right so that the beat coincides when events happen, it's still difficult to know exactly when to press the button. This places an even greater emphasis on the listening part of the game.

Addictiveness: 8
Even after you get through all of the songs, the fun with Rhythm Tengoku doesn't end there. As I've said before, the music is especially catchy to listen to. It's bound to get stuck in your head after a short time, and you're going to want to satisfy your Rhythm Tengoku craving by playing the songs over and over again. This rhythm game is one that you'll keep coming back to all the time, even after you think you've done everything possible.

Story: N/A
What do bouncing balls, jumping stick figures, and dancing samurai all have in common? No story!

Depth: 7
Just like most other rhythm games, Rhythm Tengoku doesn't contain bounds of "strategy" to the game. You pretty much just play the songs, memorize them, and be happy. However, the game is loaded with unlockables that you can earn by doing well in the game. These keep you coming back, even if you haven't gotten the songs stuck in your head yet, so that you can get all the little goodies that the game has to offer.
You can earn unlockables through two ways. The first is by getting a "High Score" medal on songs. This basically means you did really well on a song, better than just "Okay." Once you get a certain number of these medals, you can unlock a little minigame. The second way is by getting an absolute perfect-- no mistakes or close calls-- on a song. The catch is that you can only earn one of these when the song has a "perfect chance." You get three tries to achieve a perfect run before it goes away and you have to wait for it to come back to that song. When the game makes it so limited, it puts a lot of pressure on the run itself. When there aren't any perfect chances, you still practice each song multiple times so that you're ready when that time comes.

Difficulty: 5
Rhythm Tengoku is a fairly easy game that just about anyone can pick up and play, even if they aren't gamers. The games use up to three different buttons, but you rarely have to decide which one you have to use. The real difficulty comes from the games themselves. The first few are very simple to get the concept of. Of course, if you're not rhythmically talented, then this game will be hard to get used to for a while. However, the game actually improves your sense of rhythm, and by the time you reach the last few games, you'll have no trouble with recognizing beats and patterns.

Final Score: 8.75
Overall, Rhythm Tengoku has all the fun a music game could have, without playing an actual instrument. The minigames that you can find in it are cute and fun to play, no matter how many times you do so. The music especially worms its way into your head and refuses to move. Whether it's on the bus, in the car, or at school, you'll find yourself constantly tapping to the rhythm in your head.
If you really can't get enough of this game, after doing all there is to do, there is a Rhythm Tengoku Gold, also known as Rhythm Heaven, for Nintendo DS, and another Rhythm Heaven game coming for Wii. Those games come with even more games and songs to listen to, so you'll always be in heaven.

Someone70 : I've never even heard of this game, but your review seriously makes me want to try it. Very in depth and really tells me what I'm going to get when I play.

trouble982 : I don't see why you only want to try it. You should've already played through the whole game.

If you need help navigating through the Japanese in the game, I can help a bit (I don't know much Japanese, I just memorized what each button does).

Someone70 : I'm sure when I try it I'll get the hang of it. I don't normally have to large of a learning curve with games.