User:Sapphonix/sandbox/Rhythm Heaven

Rhythm Heaven is a series of rhythm games developed by Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo. The first game was released exclusively in Japan for the Game Boy Advance in 2006. Further entries in the series were released worldwide, starting with Rhythm Heaven on the Nintendo DS. The most recent game in the series, Rhythm Heaven Megamix, was released for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan in 2015 and worldwide in 2016.

The series was proposed to Nintendo by Tsunku in 2004 as a rhythm game that did not rely on visual indicators for its rhythm. Each game is composed of several rhythm-based minigames which require players to play in time with the music. The games primarily rely on audio cues to indicate the rhythm; several minigames include misleading or obscured visual cues to subvert the players' expectations.

Gameplay
Each game in the Rhythm Heaven series consists of multiple rhythm games. Each game contains unique visuals and a rhythm-based challenge for the player to perform, accompanied by a unique song. The core gameplay consists of reacting to audio cues and performing actions in time with the music. While visual cues are also provided, they are often deliberately misleading in order to subvert the players' expectations and urge them to rely on the audio cues. Some games also make the audio cues quieter or obscured by other sounds, requiring the player to keep time to themselves. The controls of each game typically use a limited set of buttons on the controller, while Rhythm Heaven uses the touch screen and stylus of the Nintendo DS. Actions performed in-game can consist of quickly tapping a button or pressing and holding a button, which often also requires releasing the button in time with the music as well. For example, in the rhythm game "Sneaky Spirits" (originally featured in Rhythm Tengoku), a ghost moves along a fence in time with the music toward an open gate. The player must shoot the ghost with an arrow by pressing a button when the ghost passes by the gate, which coincides with the eighth beat of the ghost's movement. Some ghosts move at different speeds, which change the tempo of the music, and some ghosts hide behind the fence as they get closer to the gate, making the music quieter and forcing the player to keep time and accurately predict the timing of the eighth beat.

After completing a rhythm game, the player is scored based on how accurately they performed each action in time with the music. The player are given one of three ratings: Try Again, OK, or Superb. Rhythm games are presented in several sets which require the player to acheive an OK rating or better to unlock the next game. At certain points, the player will be given the opportunity to attempt acheiving a Perfect rating for a rhythm game for which they have already acheived a Superb rating. To obtain a Perfect rating, the player must complete the game without making a single mistake; making a mistake instantly ends the rhythm game. Perfect challenges appear at random, and players are given three attempts at acheiving a Perfect rating before the challenge is closed and moves to a different rhythm game. Acheiving Perfect ratings unlocks bonus features, such as endless rhythm games, song lyrics, or "rhythm toys".

Each set of rhythm games usually ends with a Remix game. Each Remix contains several previous rhythm games mixed together, usually with new visuals, requiring the player to remember the rules for each game and change between them quickly. Typically, these Remixes only include games from their corresponding sets, though much harder Remixes appear near the end of each game which mix together all rhythm games from the entire game.

Games
The first game in the series, Rhythm Tengoku, was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2006 in Japan and was the last game developed by Nintendo for the system. It is the only game in the series to never be released outside of Japan. Rhythm Tengoku consists of 48 unique rhythm games which use the A and B buttons and the D-pad. An arcade version of the game was developed and published by Sega and released in 2007, also exclusively in Japan.

Rhythm Heaven (known as Rhythm Paradise in Europe and Rhythm Tengoku Gold in Japan) was released on the Nintendo DS in 2008 in Japan, and in 2009 worldwide. Rhythm Heaven contains 50 rhythm games. Unlike its predecessor, Rhythm Heaven is played using the DS's touch screen while holding the system vertically like a book. Players use the stylus to tap the touch screen, with some games requiring the player to hold, drag, or flick on the touch screen.

Rhythm Heaven Fever (known as Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise in Europe and Minna no Rhythm Tengoku in Japan) was released on the Nintendo Wii in 2011 in Japan, and in 2012 worldwide. Rhythm Heaven Fever contains over 50 rhythm games, including some games remastered from Rhythm Tengoku. The games use the A and B buttons on the Wii Remote. Rhythm Heaven Fever introduced multiplayer to the series; some rhythm games allow two players to play simultaneously, while unique cooperative and competitive games were created exclusively for multiplayer.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix (known as Rhythm Paradise Megamix in Europe and Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus in Japan) was released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2015 in Japan, and in 2016 worldwide. Rhythm Heaven Megamix contains over 100 rhythm games, with 70 being remastered from previous games in the series and 30 brand new games. The games use the A and B buttons and the D-pad; the stylus and touch screen can also be used, though touch controls are more simplified compared to Rhythm Heaven. Rhythm Heaven Megamix contains a story mode to progress through the rhythm games, as opposed to the simple list of games used in previous entries in the series.

Development
F-Zero was one of the launch titles for the SNES that Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development had approximately fifteen months to develop completely. In Japan, only it and Super Mario World were initially available for launch. In North America and Europe, Super Mario World shipped with the console, and other initial titles included F-Zero, Pilotwings (which also demonstrated the console's "Mode 7" pseudo-3D rendering capability), SimCity, and Gradius III. F-Zero later had a sequel for the SNES that was canceled, but was released unfinished through the Satellaview peripheral under the name "BS F-Zero Grand Prix". Takaya Imamura, who worked directly on F-Zero throughout its different incarnations, said in 2003 "hav[ing] worked on the F-Zero series, and seeing the results of the collaboration with Sega, I found myself at something of a loss as to how we can take the franchise further past F-Zero GX and AX."

In other media
F-Zero has appeared in other franchises, most notably in Nintendo's fighting game crossover franchise Super Smash Bros., where Captain Falcon has consistently appeared as a playable character. His moveset is almost entirely original; as of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, however, Falcon makes a reference to F-Zero by using the Blue Falcon as his "Final Smash", a powerful, single-use special move. The Super Smash Bros. franchise also features a few stages directly derived from the games, such as Mute City or Big Blue, and includes many other F-Zero characters as virtual trophies, stickers, and spirits. The Blue Falcon appears in Mario Kart Wii as a vehicle, though only small characters can use it. The Blue Falcon also appears in Mario Kart 8, albeit via The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8 downloadable content pack. The same DLC pack also adds a course based on Mute City, while the Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8 DLC pack adds a course based on Big Blue. A minigame based on the F-Zero series titled Captain Falcon's Twister Race is part of the Wii U ensemble game Nintendo Land. Several playable characters can dress as Nintendo characters in the Wii U version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, where Bryan Fury can take on Captain Falcon's appearance.

Critical reception
IGN's Lucas Thomas called the design and style of Mach Rider as an influence to the F-Zero series noting its sense of speed where players have "only a split second to react before you crash into a rock or enemy road warrior". Matt Casamassina of IGN said in 2003 that the F-Zero franchise has remained regarded one of the best video game series in the racing genre.

In 2008, an editor from Pro-G stated F-Zero GX "still ranks as one of the best high-speed racers ever made, but the series has been lying dormant for years".

The Tampa Tribune's review of GP Legend mentioned "It feels a little strange to see what was an esoteric-but-outstanding racing franchise attempt to go mass-market."

Nintendo World Report gave Climax a 7.5 out of 10. Siliconera praised the fast gameplay and track editor features, but criticized it for feeling more like an expansion pack than a sequel.

Shigeru Miyamoto commented in 2007 that past F-Zero and Star Fox collaborations with outside development houses turned out to be a disappointment for Nintendo. He stated "consumers got very excited about the idea of those games, but the games themselves did not deliver".

Future
Edge magazine asked Shigeru Miyamoto in April 2012 regarding a future F-Zero installment. Miyamoto stated "I think at the time [F-Zero] was a really big surprise, a new thing, a product that made sense" and the Wii and DS lacks to create a similar impact. In June 2015, news site Nintendo Life reported that in early 2011 Nintendo of Europe approached Burnout series developer Criterion Games to work on a pitch for a new F-Zero game which they hoped to unveil at E3 that same year alongside the then-unreleased Wii U console, and potentially release the game during the console's launch period. However, the developer was unable to handle the pitch as, at the time, they devoted much of their resources into the development of Need for Speed: Most Wanted for multiple platforms. The site was tipped by an anonymous, yet "reliable" source, but they had confirmed this information when Criterion co-founder Alex Ward (who left the company in 2014) admitted that Nintendo of Europe did indeed approach the company for a potential F-Zero game on the Wii U. However, in an April 2019 interview, Ward has since confirmed that this report was false. He clarified that he was contacted via an informal E-mail by a "very junior", now-former Nintendo representative. He added that Criterion Games could never develop any game without authority from parent-company and publisher Electronic Arts, and Ward himself is not even interested in the F-Zero series.

In a January 5, 2015, video from Smosh Games, Miyamoto was featured as guest star and stated that a new installment in the franchise could be possible if Nintendo were to develop a unique controller interface for one of their upcoming consoles that would be suited for a new game.

In January 2021, the producer of F-Zero GX, Toshihiro Nagoshi, stated that he would be open to working with Nintendo on another installment if the company were given the opportunity to do so, and said that he would make a future F-Zero game challenging for advanced players, unlike the "fun and accessible" nature of Nintendo's Mario Kart series.