If the primary wave contains titles resembling PaRappa the Rapper, Dance Dance Revolution, and Guitar Hero, and if the second consists of video games like Hatsune Miku Challenge: DIVA and Rhythm Heaven, then we’re seeing a callback on this third, present period with Scratchin’ Melodii, Bits and Bops, and Melatonin.

I used to be a late adopter to ‘Heaven-likes,’ as my first expertise with Rhythm Heaven Fever was in 2022. However I fell head-over-heels for this foolish little recreation that almost drove my roommate on the time to kick me out over the sound results — if you already know, you already know. I quickly consumed every little thing this 2011 Nintendo Wii-era rhythm recreation needed to provide, and, whereas I knew it unlikely, I hoped for a brand new recreation to come back quickly.

Little did I do know on the time, however that sentiment was hardly unpopular. Actually, two separate indie studios have been engaged on bringing their very own Rhythm Heaven-inspired video games to life within the type of Melatonin, a dream-based rhythm recreation targeted on one character’s existential angst, and Bits and Bops, which takes the wacky and playful aesthetic of its inspiration and turns it as much as 11.

Feeling Sleepy

Half Asleep Video games launched Melatonin in December of 2022 for PC and Nintendo Swap. It’s considered one of — if not the one — rhythm video games I’ve performed to lean closely into utilizing lo-fi hip-hop beats to review/loosen up to as its foremost draw. And, whereas it positively works with the imaginative and prescient the sport presents, the soundtrack has the doubtless unintended, however wholly ironic, aspect impact of creating some folks go to sleep. It’s stress-free!

The principle gameplay loop manifests as a set of hub worlds with 4 ‘goals’ about numerous millennial issues, resembling meals, followers, and expertise. Every ‘dream’ duties you with urgent a button or set of buttons to the beat of the music, and scoring you primarily based on how properly you saved up. Then, in true Rhythm Heaven trend, the fifth degree of every hub world is a troublesome mashup of the 4 previous goals.

It took little convincing for me to purchase Melatonin. I imply that actually — I don’t know if I even completed the trailer earlier than I used to be trying it up within the eShop, able to pay no matter quantity I wanted so as to add it to my rising cavalcade. Fortunately, it’ll solely set you again $14.99 on both platform, so … yeah. Get it. 

Bitting These Bops

And now for one thing utterly totally different. As I stated, Bits and Bops carries the torch of Rhythm Heaven brilliantly, particularly relating to the wacky, cartoonish aesthetic. It even follows in its inspiration’s footsteps of including a title card and brief jingle to each degree, which makes me irrationally joyful. 

In contrast to Melatonin, which makes use of a lightweight story to hold its music-based minigames alongside, Bits and Bops has no such factor. It takes the daring — however genius — transfer of anticipating gamers to know what they’re getting themselves into once they launch the sport, which makes a definitive affect, particularly to these with a background in Rhythm Heaven.

Actually, it’s so related (in one of the best methods) that it boggles the thoughts that — so far as I can inform on the time of writing — it has no formal connections to the staff at Nintendo. 

Bits and Bops continues to be in improvement, however a demo has been made out there through Steam.

A fan can dream

I’d like it if Nintendo have been to open the subsequent Nintendo Direct with an announcement that Rhythm Heaven is making a comeback. Even when it’s only a remaster or compilation of the earlier video games launched on the Swap, not less than it’s one thing. I can’t see it occurring anytime quickly, nevertheless. 

However hey — I may very well be fallacious. I by no means in one million, quadrillion years ever anticipated the return of Samba de Amigo, and with Celebration Central receiving a rating of 6/10 from Destructoid’s Chris Penwell, the jury’s nonetheless out on whether or not there’s a spot for AAA-developed rhythm video games. Within the meantime, I’ll simply be over right here with indie darlings like Bits and Bops, Melatonin, and Scratchin’ Melodii. 

James Herd

Employees Author — James has been enjoying video video games for so long as he can bear in mind. He was advised as soon as that video video games could not be a profession, so he got down to show them fallacious. And now, he has.

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