Then it should be released as a downloadable game through the eShop for Nintendo 3DS. I think that's a mistake (at least when it comes to phones and tablets), but it's one not likely to be fixed any time soon. Of course, Nintendo doesn't make games for competing platforms. I'd be surprised if it sold more than a million copies as a boxed game for Wii. If it becomes a hit, it could end up selling a 10 million copies (or more) through these and other digital distribution channels.

We might drop as much as $10 or $15 on it if we discovered it on Xbox Live or Steam. Realistically, it's the sort of game for which we gladly pay pocket change if found on Apple's App store. It's fun, but it's also short, simplistic, and looks like it was made by a small group of guys who cut costs by doing the visual design themselves. Rhythm Heaven Fever possesses none of these traits. That's the only way most gamers can justify the expense. That means lush visuals, longevity, storytelling, and a level of user interface complexity beyond what's possible with a touch screen.

People who pay big bucks for boxed games want something that they can't find on their mobile devices for just a few bucks. Rhythm Heaven Fever is priced and packaged like the latter, but has all the hallmarks of the former. There's no narrative and no grand objective, save perhaps to deliver as many medal-winning performances as possible (medals grant access to bonus modes, 'rhythm toys,' and musical tracks that we can play in a virtual café).įor better or worse, we now live in a world in which there are two types of games: Those that cost $1 to $15 (downloadable games for tablets, phones, and home platforms) and those that cost $30 to $60 (boxed games for consoles, PCs, and dedicated handheld game machines).

We unlock one quick and whacky rhythm challenge after another until there's nothing left to unlock. Pass this game and you'll gain access to a seesaw challenge that involves tapping a button each time a stickman lands on his end of the board. Beat this challenge and you'll find yourself screwing heads onto robots on an assembly line by pressing two buttons in time with a different tune. It starts with a golf game that has players tapping the A-button on their remotes to hit balls tossed them in predictable cadence by a pair of apes. It's a collection of about 50 short and simple rhythm games each of which involves just one or two buttons. Rhythm Heaven Fever, a brilliant new tempo tester for the Wii, highlights the challenge that Nintendo and other established game makers are currently facing with the rise of cheap downloadable games for phones, tablets, and other platforms.

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