Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise, known as Rhythm Paradise Fever in most other places, brings the zany and addictive fun of the GBA and DS originals into your living room.

As the Wii's life begins to wind down it seems Nintendo is more willing to take some risks, releasing some titles that may be considered less commercially viable (Captain Rainbow still withstanding).  Fans are reaping the rewards as Nintendo's focus has moved from J-RPGs to Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise.  

For those unfamiliar with Rhythm Paradise, it is a rhythm game with a healthy dose of ‘weird Japan’ thrown in to help it stand out from the crowd.  Bright visuals and fiendishly difficult games made the original a huge hit with fans and now Nintendo is hoping Wii owners will want to join in.

Unlike the more recent DS itteration, which required you to use the touch screen to match the rhythm, Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise has you pressing A, B or a combination of both.  The focus on simple button pressing makes you focus on the rhythm as well as reducing the margin of arm-swinging error.

In total there are more than 50 rhythmic games to work your way through.  These are all broken down into smaller sections, with each section culminating in a remix stage that flits between all of the previous games.

Rhythm Paradise has a notoriously high difficulty level.  Anyone with great rhythm probably won’t flinch too much but for the 99% of us without it, you’ll be challenged time and time again.  Don’t let it put you off though, the obsessive nature of beating the game is one of its best features.

After you complete each level you will get rated, normally a rather patronising ‘Try Again’ when you first have a go.  You need at least an ‘OK’ to get through to the next level, with a ‘Superb’ rating being the highest you can get.  The latter is not easy to come across but it is a satisfying feeling when you do get it.

Just as you begin to get into the swing of things Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise throws some distractions at you to keep you on your toes.  The camera may pan out, meaning you can’t see so things accurately, or characters may get in the way that leads you to rely solely on sound.

Purists will be pleased by Nintendo’s decision to include the Japanese soundtrack alongside the English one, meaning you can choose between them.  It does no make a difference to the gameplay really, but it sure is good to have options.
Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise offers a few two-player games, although unfortunately it is not available on all the games.  You can, of course, take it in turn with your friends and the weird on-screen antics and catchy music make it fun to watch, even if the Wii Remote is not in your hands.

Ultimately, Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise is full of bizarre and wonderful games with vibrant visuals that you won’t find on any other title out at the moment.  The music is catchy and the rhythm difficult to master, so much so that it may put some people off.  If you enjoy a challenge then this game is definitely for you, but if you’re looking for a bit of fun find a friend who has unlocked all the levels and go wild.  I can promise you, it’ll be one of the weirdest but most entertaining nights of your life.