It might look utterly meaningless, but Rhythm Tengoku’s name highlights the best aspects of the game. “Rhythm” indicates that the game will be focused on music in some way. “Tengoku”? It means something in Japanese, and because nobody bothered to translate it, this obviously means the game is a bit insane.

What its name doesn’t tell you is that Rhythm Tengoku is a mini-game collection released for the Game Boy Advance, and as alluded to in the intro, in Japan only. Given the rather strange premise of the game, I imagine you are either scrambling to import it as we speak, or think the game is a complete waste of time.

There are lots of reasons to dismiss Rhythm Tengoku. I know some people who refuse to play games that don’t involve shooting the crap out of a Nazi/alien/terrorist/generic soldier. I urge these people to ignore their inner-gamer and just try Rhythm Tengoku. Who knows, you just might discover that there is more to gaming than shooting stuff.

Others argue that mini-game collections simply aren’t epic, rewarding, or fulfilling enough. This, to an extent, is true. You’re not going to get a grandeur storyline, forty hours of gameplay, or 18-button combos to memorize. What you will get is pure unadulterated fun. Isn’t that was gaming is really about?

Those willing to have a go at Rhythm Tengoku will find it’s an absolute treat. With most games requiring just the A button your gaming skills aren’t what get exercised here. Instead, Rhythm Tengoku genuinely challenges your sense of rhythm. Every game is completely dependent on listening to, and playing along with, the music. I soon realized that the “video” part of “videogame” is mostly unnecessary. Many games can be played with your eyes closed. In fact, I played some of them better when I wasn’t looking.

I accused Rhythm Tenkogu of being “insane” earlier on. That is a bit of an understatement. The game will ask you to do the most absurd things, whether it’s plucking hair off an anthropomorphic onion, or dancing with monkeys. Even simple things like hitting a baseball or slashing a sword are somehow transformed into ridiculous tasks. It’s safe to say that the best part of Rhythm Tenkogu, the part that keeps you coming back for more, is unlocking new games to see what it’ll throw at you next.

The remix games in particular deserve a special mention. They take the five prior games, and make you play bits of them in quick succession. The genius part is that the bits you play actually form a funky remix song. Between keeping up with the fast paced song and humming along to the catchy beats, the remix games are an absolute blast.

The games aren’t always great though. Most fall in the “above average” category, with a large subset of them being “good” or even “ingenious”. But there are a couple of games that are just “okay” or worse still, feel like filler. A couple of stinkers are expected in a mini-game collection, but it’s still a shame to see. Another aspect that isn’t always great is the difficulty. The games often hit the sweet-spot in terms of challenge (where a couple of tries with a decent understanding of the game is enough) but a few are frustratingly difficult.

My biggest problem, oddly enough, is with my favourite game. Having discovered it early on, I obsessively played until I perfected it. But as it played the exact same way every time, there was no further challenge, no reason for me to go back and play it again. What starts as an exercise in rhythm ends up being an exercise in memorization. It is understandable since it would be difficult to take random game elements and somehow sync them to the music, but the point is still valid.

Despite all this, Rhythm Tengoku remains a must-play game. It’s difficult to recommend people to “just try” a game when they need to make the commitment to import it. But Rhythm Tengoku is worth it. It’s fun, quirky and challenging. It’s a truly unique game in a world full of ultra-realistic shooters. And really, dancing monkeys. What’s not to like?