Which games allow or require you to hold your DS system sideways like a book?

I've got a problem.

OK, so I've got lots of problems--especially when it comes to this lovely little hobby of mine that some folks refer to as "gaming."

Only one of those problems is relevant to this particular blog post, though, and that would be that I'm currently kind of obsessed with games that allow or even require you to hold your DS system sideways (like a book) while playing them.

The thing is, I can't think of many DS games that fit this description. Obviously Hotel Dusk is one of them, as is its sequel, Last Window.

Aside from that wonderful pair of visual novels, though, the only examples that come to mind are Square Enix's intriguing Sigma Harmonics, Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Rhythm Heaven in North America and Rhythm Paradise in Europe) and the Brain Age games.

Do you fine folks know of any other DS carts that let or force people to play them "book-style"? If so, I'd really appreciate it if you'd share their names in the comments section below.

See also: 'Nice Package! (Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, Nintendo DS)'

I'm not sure what I think of Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise's box art

Although I'm not planning to buy a copy of Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise after it hits the streets of Europe on July 6, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit envious of my European compadres who are planning to pick up a copy of this Wii game (which goes by the name of Minna no Rhythm Tengoku in Japan and Rhythm Heaven Fever in North America).

That's mainly because Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise, unlike Rhythm Heaven Fever, will feature both English and Japanese vocal tracks.

Is Beat the Beat's box art (above) also responsible for me feeling a bit envious of Euro Wii owners? Not really. Although I'd hardly call it ugly, I also wouldn't call it beautiful. (I much prefer Rhythm Heaven Fever's wildly colorful cover illustration, which can be viewed in this previous post.)

What do all of you think? Does Beat the Beat's packaging get you all hot and bothered, or does it leave you feeling limp?

Rejoice! Rhythm Heaven Wii will use buttons, not waggle :)

Tucked away within the text version of Nintendo's recent "Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ended March 2011" presentation is the following comment--from President/CEO Satoru Iwata--regarding the company's forthcoming Rhythm Heaven/Paradise/Tengoku sequel for Wii:

"The new Rhythm Paradise game we showed you in our Financial Results Briefing in January will be available this summer. I tried out a near-final version of the game, and felt that this Rhythm Paradise, playable with a TV monitor, never loses the uniqueness of the original Rhythm Paradise. In contrast to Wii Remote Plus Variety [aka Wii Play: Motion] I introduced before, this game is intentionally designed to be played only with buttons."



When Rhythm Heaven Wii was announced last year, I was sure the folks at Nintendo were going to force us to play it using motion controls--much like they forced us to use the touchscreen while playing the DS iteration. As such, it's a relief to hear that this second sequel will instead take the series back to the button-pressing roots of the GameBoy Advance original.

(For more on Rhythm Tengoku, read this post or even this one.)

The Great Gaymathon Review #5: Rhythm Tengoku (GameBoy Advance)

Game: Rhythm Tengoku

Genre: Rhythm

Developer: Nintendo SPD Group No.1

Publisher: Nintendo

System: GameBoy Advance

Release date: 2006

As good as Rhythm Tengoku Gold (aka Rhythm Paradise in Europe and Rhythm Heaven in the States) is, its predecessor is that much better. The series' first entry features the same wacky--and wonderful--WarioWare-esque graphics, Simon-ish gameplay and toe-tapping music as its DS-based successor, but it also does a few things better than that 2008 release. For starters, Rhythm Tengoku is simpler, as nearly every mini-game is controlled by pressing the GameBoy Advance's A button (a couple require you to use the directional pad, but they're few and far between). An added benefit of this minimalistic control scheme: Rhythm Tengoku is, by and large, more enjoyable--due to it being a lot less frustrating--than its stylus-focused sequel. Finally, although both of these Tsunku-backed titles offer players a bevy of extras to toy around with when they're not working their way through the main game, the GBA version is home to the best of the bunch--a "drum mode" that allows players to add percussion, using the system's A and B buttons as well as its directional pad, to each of the title's earworm-worthy backing tracks.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

Forget about the 3DS ...

... I'm more interested in Rhythm Tengoku Wii, which was announced alongside the aforementioned, forthcoming system (and a slew of 3DS games) during the Nintendo Conference 2010 held in Japan earlier today.

Unfortunately, all that is known about this latest Rhythm Tengoku (aka Rhythm Paradise in Europe and Rhythm Heaven in the States) title is that it will hit the streets in Japan sometime in 2011.

Three screenshots--including the one below--of this sure-fire hit (in Japan, at least) can be viewed here, while a smidge of gameplay footage can be seen at the tail end of this video.



Those of you who are more interested in the 3DS, which will be released in Japan on Feb. 26 with a ¥25,000 (about $300--ouch!) price tag, should check out this post and this post on andriasang.com as well as this "introduction trailer" and this software trailer.

Buy: Rhythm Heaven or Rhythm Paradise