Konami’s newest rhythm game is Super Crazy Rhythm Castle. It’s super, crazy, and flips the script on what a rhythm game can be. But is it on beat, or is the timing off?
Finding yourself in the titular castle, you’ll meet your host, King Ferdinand I. He’ll be your primary contact during your stay in the castle – despite it being sorta against your will. You’ll make your way up the castle and through the different hub worlds, solving puzzles, doing chores for the King and chatting with the residents. You’ll begin in the dank depths of the basement but soon be pitching in with a revolution in the meat dimension and busting out prisoners in the cell tower. All while playing a few minigames, of course.
The minigames in Super Crazy Rhythm Castle all revolve around rhythm, but not entirely. Some minigames get you just hitting beats in time like your usual rhythm fare, but unlike other games in the genre, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle will have you jumping out of the rhythm part on a moments notice where other parts of the minigame take place. This might be as simple as pulling a lever across the room to remove an obstruction, or as convoluted as manning a cannon to coat meat-men in sauce, all before jumping back on the beat. And even if you’re not having to hop off the rhythm board, each level still has a unique gimmick to set it apart from the others. It’s a novel concept and I’m surprised I haven’t seen it elsewhere. And with the option to play with up to three friends couch co-op or online, things can get pretty hectic as you delegate tasks and whatnot.
The soundtrack is a big hodgepodge of tunes. There’s hip-hop, country, J-pop and metal, just to name a few, plus a few Konami classics thrown in, from titles like Castlevania, Dance Dance Revolution and Gradius. A lot of the music isn’t quite my style, but there’s enough variety to find at least a good few songs you enjoy.
But I’ve got some gripes. The game opts to have the King give you funny banter to introduce the minigames, but I really think a lot of the games couldve benefited from a less diegetic form of explanation, like the minigame intro cards you get in Mario Party. There were too many games I didn’t realise I’d flunked until the end of a three-minute song just because of said bad intros. In this same vein, a lot of the games I liked best were the ones with straightforward gimmicks, like the one where the rhythm board spins more wildly the longer the song goes on. The poor explanation also bled into exploring the hub worlds, where the “hints” about where to go next were never quite as clear as the game would have you believe.
A lot of the games didn’t seem to be well-balanced for the single-player experience either. Some minigames might give you a goofy NPC to help out, whereas others don’t give you anything when they really should. It’s like there’s an expectation for the game to only be played in party mode, despite promoting the single-player mode as a viable option. I also noticed my character drifting around a bunch, and I haven’t experienced any Joy-Con drift before or after Super Crazy Rhythm Castle so I’m gonna pin that on the game too.
So, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle, hey. It’s got some neat ideas, a cute art style, a decent sense of humour and some fun songs. But ultimately, I don’t think they stuck the landing. If you want a unique rhythm game to play with some friends or you wanna play jam out with Konami bangers, look out for a sale, but otherwise, I’d probably give this one a miss.
Rating: 2/5
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