The last thing I want to do is be the “um actually” guy, but I will say that I 100% agree with everything you said about why you don’t like rhythm games…. aaaand that’s why I like Hi Fi Rush so much. For the most part it doesn’t really punish you for missing the beat. You just play it like any other action game and if your attack does land on the beat then you get rewarded with a damage and score bonus. There’s never that horrible clanking “you fucked up” sound you hear constantly in guitar hero et al. if you’re anything like me. It takes the approach of rewarding your successes and quietly ignoring your failures. If you have game pass I think it’s worth giving it a shot; you’ll know pretty quickly whether it’s going to work for you or not. And I found it to be a real delight of a surprise for this year.

@cowboyjosh You know that actually explains why I've heard people who are mixed on that game, because it more leans heavily towards action than rhythm. I guess that's always the risk when making a multi-genre title, some people will be either "there's too much rhythm is my action game" or "there's not enough rhythm in my rhythm-action game." But if its the former where its lenient in the rhythm department, then yeah it might be something I'd like. Thanks.

As a Double Dash fan, I will say I had a lot of fun going back to it a few years ago. I do think it's worth a visit for both the tag team vehicle concept and the special items. Baby Park isn't the same without giant Bowser shells and DK bananas littering it.

As someone who's tired of Among Us you made a good point about them not speaking, I'm not sure what I would've done if they spouted whedonisms and went screamo at random.

@Vee As someone whose only played 8 Deluxe when it comes to Mario Kart, a even crazier Baby Park is both terrifying and enticing.

Not only are all of those Mario Kart games worth playing, so is Super Circuit.

for rhythym games, i can only really speak on Guitar Hero stuff, but yeah i guess you are just "following the leader", but it just feels cool as fuck to synchronize with a song. Just going "FUCK, WHAT? I ACTUALLY HIT THAT SHIT?" is so fucking satisfying. Stuff like Guitar Hero are basically just a string of parry buttons, or Sekiro is a rhythm game without the music.
And for Hi-Fi Rush, it was like earlier stated, too much action game. I'm sure it would be satisfying to do that shit, but then I will have to build up the skills for that and I don't wanna.

@DeltaWDunn Really don't hear much from Super Circuit ever. Even the retro courses from later games don't borrow much from that game, that would be an interesting game to try.

@Snigglegros So it's pretty much a hard-as-hell skillset that's gratifying to see yourself improve? In that case, was adding action game elements overly distracting for Hi-Fi Rush? I'm curious since a lot of games can require a different amount of skills needed to master it. Rhythm is certainly vital in Sekiro, but there's also positioning, movement, offense, environmental awareness, stealth, and partially your build. Though maybe the issue is more of what it seemed H.F.R was seemingly selling to people, and not quite being what they were expecting.

Yeah the action was distracting for me. Im just used to focusing solely on the "clearly telegraphed parries" (or even quick time event) with the frets coming down the highway, but with the action elements I have other stuff to focus on that keeps compounding and I start playing bad. I don't really get super into action games where I memorize a bunch of move inputs, but I feel like that is needed more in Hi-Fi, and then I gotta remember those on rhythm. Guitar Hero is more reaction based, but can be memory too if you wanna perfect songs.
Again, I do think if I wanted to sit my ass down and learn it right, it would probably be satisfying. Rhythm mixed with other genres is just gonna be a harder sell for me because I wanna do the rhythm part without the action or platforming or what have you.