Even though the Nintendo Switch is not that old, it has a substantial library across all genres and for all types of players. It may go down as one of Nintendo’s best experimental consoles of all time. Does this mean the hybridization of portables and home consoles is never going away? There is no way to know.
What’s important now is an examination of an often overlooked genre on the Switch or any console: rhythm games. There is a lot to play on the system and more than what some gamers may think. Let’s go through the best familiar and obscure rhythm games just waiting to be played on Switch.
8 Cadence Of Hyrule: Crypt Of The NecroDancer Featuring The Legend Of Zelda
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda is one of the longest titles on the system. It’s also one of the best. It is like a sequel to both Crypt of the NecroDancer and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. The original music is great but the classic remixes of Zelda tracks, like Gerudo Valley, are top-notch.
The idea may have seemed silly at first to turn this series into a rhythm game with roguelike elements. It worked out well in the end. This begs the question as to what other Nintendo characters could work in this context.
7 Everhood
Everhood is like an homage to an homage. Undertale was the love letter to Super Mario RPG and EarthBound. Everhood is like a love letter to Undertale but also those two other games. If one didn’t know any better, they may think this game is a secret sequel to Undertale based on character and world design alone.
It is essentially a series of bosses strung together with a few puzzles in-between. Players will not attack enemies. Instead, all they have to do is dodge attacks to the beat of the music. The bosses and music are good but the rest of the game is a bit unbalanced.
6 Fuser
Fuser is a mix between Rock Band and DJ Hero. Players take on the role of an up-and-coming DJ, trying to break out onto the scene. Yes, there is a story involving the player being mentored by other DJs but this narrative doesn’t get in the way.
The important thing to take away from this experience is the gameplay. Players can switch and remix tracks on the fly. They can slow down the temp to mix up beats, use turntables to create sounds, and shoot off effects to the audience. The goal is to have a good concert but the hook is being able to mashup songs and genres from all walks of life.
5 Just Dance 2022
Just Dance 2022 is a rhythm game that requires physical activity. It’s one of many franchises that blossomed out of the Wii era of gaming. Unlike others that came and went, Just Dance has stuck around for good reason.
It is a fun game for the whole family on top of being a good aid to promote fitness. The in-game song list only had about forty songs in it. Thankfully the online service, Just Dance Unlimited, has over 700 songs. That is across every entry in the series spanning a whole decade. How many franchises support a series that much? It’s a wonderful library that is full of hits.
4 Kingdom Hearts: Melody Of Memory
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is the latest entry in the series which takes place in-between the events of Kingdom Hearts 3 and after the game finishes. It is a three-lane rhythm game that celebrates every entry in the series with music to accompany it.
Sora can be assisted m by Donald and Goofy, or other various characters from the series. There is even a multiplayer. It’s not the best game in the series by far but it is a unique rhythm game in its own right. The ending is worth the dozen hours or so of gameplay.
3 Mad Rat Dead
Mad Rat Dead is a rhythm-based platformer. Players take on the role of a rat that was brought back to life. The only way to keep it alive is by dashing and jumping to the beat of the music.
It’s like players are controlling a defibrillator to keep that heart pumping. It’s a small game from 2020 that didn’t get enough love at the time but it’s never too late to check out a good game. There aren’t many rhythm games like it.
2 No Straight Roads
No Straight Roads is an action platformer with a musical theme behind its level design. The game takes place in a city that loves EDM music and wants to outlaw every other genre, especially rock. The two main characters of Mayday and Zuke want to bring rock back.
Players could smash up enemies to their rhythm, but it’s more beneficial to act on the beat. It’s one of the most ambitious rhythm games ever created. This blended project of genres doesn’t land every note but it’s a funky jam nonetheless. Plus the whole game can be played in co-op.
1 Sayonara Wild Hearts
Sayonara Wild Hearts has been described as a visualization of a pip album. That’s the best description possible because the game doesn’t require much input. In many ways, it’s like an on-rails light-gun game. Players begin as seemingly an ordinary girl before she is whisked away to a neon metropolis filled with masked villains. What they want doesn’t matter.
It’s the music, visual designs, and precise timing that will have players hooked from beginning to end. It’s a very short experience at about an hour. That’s taking into account death. Sayonara Wild Hearts is a musical experience more than a game but it’s a ride worth the investment.