Mechanically, this game feels like if Professor Layton was a ps2 rhythm game. In tone it kind of reminds me of the 3d sonic games, especially in the sort of dichotomy of zany charactera/gameplay aspects clashing with a relatively involved plot. Most of the characters dont really work well enough to carry the game like sonic does. I wish there had been a sequel, because I have a feeling there was potential for something pretty fun to come out.

The voice acting for certain characters (cough cough Marie...) is hillariously bad, but her story is pretty cliched so after a bit it just made bearing through it more entertaining. I don't really get why Raphael doesn't have a bit of french accent but at least his lines are generally good.

I loved Inspector Vergiere and Charlie, they were a lot of fun in their brief appearances. Although why are they so mean to each other?? lmao. Would've loved to see Raphael and Charlie's dynamic develop a bit more, could've been fun that the rivalry had a bit more backstory to it.

As for the minigames, save for the gyroscope ones and what seemed like one or two mapping issues i had a lot of fun with them. Some formats repeated multiple times but i personally liked the more challenging versions, since i liked most of the rhythm games that had multiple appearances. I was able to finish all the games without issue but I definitely didn't get a good score on some of them.

The soundtrack is extremely good, i'll be looking out for any live band covers but even the original 3ds versions are great. I especially like the tracks that draw a bit more on the thief/spy soundscape.

My one gripe is as a thief story enjoyer i wish the thieving was used more. It ended up feeling more like a detective reskin during a great part of the story, but the sneaking/posing minigames and the fighting minigames were my favorites.

The mechanic is pretty unique and super interesting! I'm kind of surprised it's a 2009 game, it feels... a bit older in its presentation. It still deserves a couple hours' play if you're a Rhythm Game fanatic, the hard mode seems really tough! I do wish you could set it on hard from the outset, because by the time I unlocked it I was ready to stop playing, and unlike say Elite Beat Agents you don't really have an addictive licensed soundtrack to boost replayability. I do love classical music, but on the tinny DS speakers... it's not the most pleasant experience. All in all, I think there is untapped potential in this.

Oh also the boss battles are just boring which is a pity! At least they don't take that long.

This game is so iconic. It's Osu but with a story and charm and fantastic maps on a fantastic music selection. It introduced me to Canned Heat, one of my favorite Jamiroquai songs. There's everything to love here and honestly? Nothing to hate. It either is for you or isn't, but it can't be denied that what it does, it does well.

I stopped playing before I got to the hardest mode and I don't really have the time to get back up to where I was again, and that might be one of my biggest gaming regrets honestly. For experienced Osu players it might be a bit of a bore, but for casuals like me it's a fun gauntlet with a rewarding challenge spike!

TL;DR: if you have a DS or a Wii, Rhythm Heaven/Rhythm Heaven Fever are definitely tighter games and my preferred way to experience the minigames. But it's a super solid overall package, and a great introduction point. If you've played it and liked it, definitely give Rhythm Heaven (the DS one) a go, as even the games you already know will be completely different due to the unique mechanics that game uses.

The good:
- Challenge mode is awesome. It's so hard. Monster mode is the worst thing to ever have happened to me, I've never been good about getting perfects and never cared to. But it's a lot of fun.
- EVERY rhythm game from the series is here, pretty much. A bunch of awesome side games, plus all the iconic minigames you know and love from DS and Fever. Plus some new versions of old classics, new minigames altogether (albeit few), and new remixes!
- Given the above, it follows that the game is chock full of bangers.
- Just getting new Rhythm Heaven entries is so important to me and I really hope we get one on Switch. I feel like the rhythm game genre is picking steam back up again, so let's hope!
- An easy way to experience all your favorite games on the go and share them to your friends. I'm a Rhythm Heaven evangelist so this is key for me.

The bad:
- I'm a big fan of the unique DS controls, and it saddened me so much to not have the option to use them for DS games. it's a 3DS! You could easily do it!! There's no excuse. The simplified tap is a travesty.
- The story and characters definitely overstay their welcome. They should've taken a page from Rhythm Heaven Wii, where there's characters but they only come in every once in a while between games and even on rhythm games as a fun surprise, and thus remain loved and iconic. This also gives a lot more protagonism to the rhythm games' characters, which is how you get monkeys, Karate Joe, the Ringside characters, etc. to be so iconic. I think this is a big part of the charm of the series and thus is my biggest gripe with this one.

The neutral:
- What is UP with the goat minigame? Serious question, why does it exist???????

My first Zelda game! I was pretty young when I started playing it, so I would mostly enjoy flying around the sky map and buying pumpkin soup, for whatever reason. I dropped it after getting scared of the Silent Realms (did I mention I was very young?) but all the characters I met have a special place in my heart. Link and Zelda are Very cute in this and Groose is my little funnyman.

The gameplay is nothing to write home about, I think responsive sword slashing could be an excellent mechanic but hardware limitations and mediocre execution keep it from being immersive in any capacity. I do wonder how that feels on the Switch, but I don't think the game is particularly creative with the use of it so I doubt there's much improvement. That said, I always appreciate seeing Nintendo trying new things when it comes to mechanics specifically, and being bold enough to do it on their mainline series, I do personally like motion controls but it's just a fact that sword slashing felt way better in wii sports resorts. You gotta start somewhere!