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By virtue of being one of the most innovative handheld consoles ever made, the Nintendo DS—and its unique dual-screen, touch-screen gimmick—was subject to all sorts of creative development decisions, for better or worse. It felt like a prerequisite for releasing a game on the DS for most of its lifespan was heavy use of its touch screen, with some first-party Nintendo games removing button inputs altogether. This led to some incredibly unique applications for controls in video games, but it was probably more likely that any random game's stylus requirement felt forced rather than natural.

At the same time, the DS was incredibly popular with the casual gaming crowd, and lots of games on the system emphasize simplicity in control and gameplay for that very same reason—even going so far as to denote them with the Touch! Generations label. Nintendo's own best DS game is a debate with dozens of viable options, but when it comes to their best application of the preceding principles—an easy-to-understand game with generational appeal and simple, touch-based controls—could it be anything other than Rhythm Heaven?

Rhythm games had always been a big hit in Japan, but by the late 2000s, they were truly at their peak in the West—the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series were both selling massively at the time. Nintendo took this as a good enough reason to initiate the first worldwide release in the Rhythm Tengoku series, to be titled Rhythm Heaven in North America. But it couldn't be more different than the previously mentioned band simulators—its innovation in control and gameplay is immediately identifiable.

To even start, you're asked to turn the DS on its side, like reading a book, and the entire catalog of controls in RH amounts to a tap and a flick. For a game where you need to tap to the beat, precision is crucial to enjoyment, and Rhythm Heaven's controls are, frankly, perfect. There's a tactility to the touch screen that pressing a button can't quite replicate, and while some games' overuse of the DS stylus can cause discomfort, Rhythm Heaven's short minigames allow you all the time you need to rest in between attempts.

It's incredibly simple, and yet throughout the 50+ minigames in its arsenal, it almost always feels like you're doing something different. That's down to the game's charm, which is ever-present and effervescent. Each minigame is an excuse for creativity in both application and character design, and Nintendo hits it out of the park again and again and again. (How else do you explain the fanbase for DJ Yellow, a character featured in a single one-minute game?) The minigames aren't fun because of the repeated taps and flicks you're asked to keep up with; they're fun because each is injected with so much imagination that it's impossible not to have a smile on your face even as you tap off-beat to an inevitable "Try Again..."

The Remix sections, which throw a medley of different minigames at you, feel like a fantastic culmination of everything you learned up to that point, and they help prepare you for the increasingly complex musical challenges to come, all while making perfect use of the extremely simple control scheme. There are also a lot of side modes or endless games that serve as a nice add-on, but with gameplay this fun, this addicting, this engaging, you'd be forgiven for not checking any of them out.

It should go without saying the music is fantastic, and you will not get away without at least a handful of songs permanently lodged inside your brain. Ironically, for a designated casual game, Rhythm Heaven can offer up quite the challenge, but it's fantastic in how its challenges very rarely become frustrating. With its vibrant art style and fantastic soundtrack, why wouldn't you want to go back and try again? Only a few times do challenges feel a bit disingenuous with the feedback you receive, which can lead to some cases where your subpar rating is not indicative of the minigame's visual cues. Even better would have been the implementation of a "Try Again" button on the pause screen, since it's unlikely you'll need to see each game's tutorial more than once.

These are all relatively minor grievances in the face of what is a truly special game and the product of a vast amount of innovation. Rhythm Heaven is, as mentioned previously, a collection of about 50 or so minigames, but Nintendo could have made 500, and the typical player's response upon completion would still likely be "I wish there was more." Astoundingly consistent in its high quality, it's simply one of the best minigame collections ever made, but the game’s clever designs and endearing character are what carry its impassioned fanbase. In an era of malappropriated touch screen controls and a wave of worldwide rhythm-based games, Rhythm Heaven's lasting legacy and continued appreciation show that it more than lives up to its name.

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