Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise (Wii) Review

The very first entry into the Rhythm Paradise series of music-based games from the same internal Nintendo division that brought the world WarioWare arrived on the Game Boy Advance at the tail end of its lifespan in Japan and was overlooked for an international release. Many thought it would be completely forgotten, but in Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise, Nintendo has resurrected elements of the classic, switching out a speech-heavy mini-game in favour of an old portable one, and having others available as extras for players able to achieve ‘Superb’ and ‘Perfect’ ratings on the challenges faced in the main game (as well as the other extras on offer -- Rhythm Toys and Endless Games -- as treats for experts).

Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise is not purely centred on recycled content, though -- far from it -- it comes with fifty brand new rhythm games, complete with the weird and wonderful characters from the previous two releases, and a new two-player mode (new to Europeans, since the arcade edition that featured it never hit these shores). Anyone concerned about the moderate issues faced with using the stylus in the DS Rhythm Paradise will be pleased to know that the controls have not deteriorated in this Wii version to mindless waggling in the hope of matching the beat. Instead, the development team has reverted to the old Game Boy Advance button input system, except this time it involves holding the Wii Remote directly forward, towards the TV screen, and relying on the top-side ‘A’ button and the ‘B’ trigger, alternating between the two, plus using both at the same time in certain modes. The range of styles for the mini-games within is very impressive, with a hefty number of intriguing rhythm tests that keep the whole game fresh. Remix stages featuring several tasks mixed together also add to the variety.

Graphically, although the crisp nature of the visuals would be lost, this could have been carried out on a much less powerful system than the Wii, but the whole purpose of the Rhythm Paradise series is not to overwhelm players with elaborate graphics, instead focusing them on the correct timing of the beats within each piece of music. Anyway, the comical characters and mini-stories in each setting are impressive and quirky enough in their 2D form, making Beat the Beat an experience that causes both laughter amongst grown-ups and excitement for the younger crowd, especially in the way tiny little amusing details are mixed into the background scenes during the main action (keen eyes spotting these may lead to beats being mistimed whilst laughing, however!).

One of the major bugbears of years gone by is the fact that a wall could be hit on certain challenges, with them being so difficult and there being no means of really figuring what was going wrong. Now, though, beginners can access a ‘demo’ feature after making several mistakes, which attempts to show exactly how to strike the right notes. It will not be long before anyone and everyone becomes an expert at stabbing peas with a fork, playing badminton whilst flying a biplane, kicking different types of balls, screwing on robot heads, and so on. Achieving the highest score on all of the zany objectives faced along the way will soon be within the grasp of all players. Despite a few set-backs, such as the odd disappointing tune or overly tricky mini-game, Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise hits all the right notes, proving to be a musical masterpiece for the entire family.