likely the greatest rhythm game series in existence. i bought a DSi pretty much just to play rhythm heaven DS after having played fever, should be a good indicator of how i feel about it.

i really do feel it is the quintessential rhythm game - slight tangent, but i never much liked the DDR-style of rhythm games that seems to sort of be the default when the topic of "rhythm games" is brought up (stuff like guitar hero and FNF); it's heavily reliant on you being able to see the god damn thing, and the charts often don't feel very rhythmic.
rhythm heaven, however? i fear blindness greatly, but i find solace in the fact that if
i did indeed ever lose my eyesight, rhythm heaven would still be something i'd be able to enjoy to a degree.

i would unfortunately lose out on being able to see the game's wonderful visuals.
i don't know nintendo's weird internal game dev division names off the top of my head, but whichever group it is that does rhythm heaven and warioware - the art direction is right up my alley. rhythm heaven is full of such wonderfully creative concepts that light up my dumb brain's little kid remnants every single time i see them. there is really nothing like it, they are enough to bring a grown man to tears in the correct circumstances.

among my favorite minigames from both games are:

Fillbots (1 + 2)
DJ School
Drummer Duel
Lockstep (1 + 2)
Remix 8 (DS)
Remix 10 (DS)
Screwbot Factory (1 + 2)
See-Saw
Ringside
Exhibition Match
Tap Troupe
Remix 10 (Fever)

if i had to pick a favorite out of these, it'd probably be Lockstep; there's something about an evenly-spaced horde of stonefaced plain-looking dudes with headphones majestically marching back and forth in unison that does it for me, i'd like to imagine the exact same thing is happening in my head. HEY HEY HEY HA-HA STEP STEP STEP STEP... HOO-HA HOO-HA HEY

i would also like to add that i've come to appreciate the game's way of handling perfect clears. YES, it IS annoying if you did do a game perfectly and despite that have to do it again, but it is likely that if you can do that, you will have no problem clearing it when the time comes. but what about the stuff you can't do so easily?

three tries. do it right.

it's such a fun type of stress to have looming in your head while you're attempting to clear a minigame perfectly. sure, i probably could have perfected rhythm rally 2 by now had this restriction not existed, but let me tell you - the moment i see that i can attempt it? the excitement is indescribable.

if there is ANY game in the entire world that i think everybody should play, it's either of these rhythm heavens.

and if you're wondering - i have played the GBA one, it is good too.