A new game released this week that caught our eye is Rhythm Spirit [$2.99] by developer Monad Games. Its focus is on being a rhythm based fighting game, similar to the Nintendo DS title Draglade from a few years ago, but offers more beyond just squaring off against an opponent. It’s not the greatest rhythm game, and not the greatest action game, but it combines the two elements in a way that is really enjoyable and does it all with fantastic graphics and a phenomenal soundtrack to boot.
You’ll play as the ninja Toshi who is infected with a strange evil spirit that gives him powerful martial arts skills that are controlled by tapping the onscreen buttons in rhythm to the music. Icons enter the screen from both the left and right side and must be tapped when they hit the very middle. Most levels feature one-on-one fighting with how well you do keeping up with the rhythm directly affecting your offensive and defensive performance. Other types of levels are thrown in for variety like the very first level that has you outrunning a group of enemy ninjas, or a level where you must play a song on a flute to appease a giant frog into letting you pass his pond.
This video demonstrates the gameplay and just how crazy some of the game elements are:
What really makes Rhythm Spirit a delight is the colorful 2D art style and the truly excellent music. The soundtrack is bass heavy electronic music with subtle Japanese stylings that really fits the game well. The game suggest wearing headphones while playing and I wholeheartedly agree, as not only does it sound much better but it’s easier to pick out the parts of the rhythm that you need to tap in time with. There are 10 levels in the game, each with easy, normal, and hard settings and an A-F grading system based on how well you do.
As we said, it’s not necessarily the best rhythm game or best fighting game, but if you’re interested in something that’s quite a bit different than your traditional game, and contains really high quality music and presentation, then check out Rhythm Spirit .
