Nintendo’s ‘Rhythm Heaven Megamix’ hits eShop following E3 debut

By Danny Cowan June 16, 2016

Nintendo’s manic minigame compilation Rhythm Heaven Megamix is

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out now in the 3DS eShop in North America following its debut appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo this week.

Nintendo’s latest digital release collects dozens of minigames featured throughout the Rhythm Heaven series over the past decade, upgrading many fan-favorite levels with enhanced graphics and remixed music.

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The fourth entry in Nintendo’s Rhythm Heaven series, Megamix includes more than 70 minigames that each feature unique music-driven gameplay mechanics. Many levels require players to tap a button in time to a backing music track, with oddball characters dictating changes in rhythm and timing throughout.

The series found its origins on the Game Boy Advance in 2006 with the Japan-only launch of the first entry in the series, Rhythm Tengoku. Localized versions of Rhythm Tengoku never surfaced in North America or Europe, and many stateside fans will see its minigames for the first time in Rhythm Heaven Megamix.

In addition to a collection of remixed tracks from Rhythm Tengoku, Rhythm Heaven Megamix also features levels and music from 2009’s Rhythm Heaven for the Nintendo DS and 2012’s Wii release Rhythm Heaven Fever. It also includes a selection of all-new minigames not seen in previous series releases.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix has a lot to offer for longtime series fans. Dozens of additional music tracks, levels, and memorabilia items are unlockable via an in-game shop. The game also features a dual-audio option, letting you hear the original Japanese versions of its included music tracks in addition to English-language remixes. Other new features include StreetPass functionality and a collection of multiplayer minigames that can be shared with others through 3DS Download Play.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix is available exclusively via Nintendo’s eShop in North America. A free demo version is also up for grabs. A European version will launch digitally and at retail on October 26.

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With E3 2023 gone, other gaming events need to step up

Despite how inevitable the complete downfall of E3 felt over the past several years, E3 2023’s official cancellation still strings as it’s a significant loss for the game industry. For gamers, press, and developers, the show served multiple purposes that digital livestreams and scattered publisher-specific events don't currently replicate. In lieu of E3’s cancelation this year, and potentially forever, it’s time for other gaming events to step up and help push the video game industry forward.
Why we lost E3
I’m lucky enough to have the experience of attending three E3 shows across 2017, 2018, and 2019 and many publisher-run events focused on specific games or tighter game lineups. In its final years, E3 felt like the perfect middle ground to the gamer-focused PAX and industry-focused GDC, where people from all walks and sides of the video game industry could come together, see what’s coming in the future, and share their love for games.

It also felt more freeing than publisher-run events, as I discovered and experienced games of all sizes that I may not have otherwise and got to meet many people from every angle of the game industry. Apparently, the Entertainment Software Association struggled to convince enough people that this style of expo was important four years after the last physical event.
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Entertainment Software Association president Stanley Pierre-Louis blamed E3 2023’s cancellation on the Covid-19 pandemic, “economic headwinds” due to the current recession that impacted marketing budgets, and the fact that “companies are starting to experiment with how to find the right balance between in-person events and digital marketing opportunities.”
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What we lose
Events are a great way for indies to get unexpected and much-needed attention from players and the press; look at the chance encounter that got one of our team’s freelancers hooked on Homeseek at PAX East. Now, indies will have to hope to gain attention at those more indie-focused events like PAX or be cherry-picked to be featured in a more prominent company’s showcasing. There’s also the networking and pitch factor to it.

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Earlier today, IGN reported that two of its sources received an email from the Entertainment Software Association saying that this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo has been canceled because it "simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry." Soon after, a tweet from the official E3 account confirmed that "both the digital and physical events for E3 2023 are canceled."
https://twitter.com/E3/status/1641546610218811393
E3 was once a prominent annual video game industry trade show but has struggled to re-emerge since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. E3 did not take place in 2020 or 2022, and a digital-only attempt at the show in 2021 did not live up to expectations. The ESA was attempting to bring the show back this year with the help of PAX organizer ReedPop, and even approved press passes for the event already, but it appears the developers and publishers have lost faith in E3. Ubisoft pulled out of the show earlier this week after initially committing to be there, while Sega, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Level Infinite confirmed they wouldn't be there in the following days.
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Ubisoft confirmed its change in plans to Video Games Chronicle today, with a spokesperson saying that while Ubisoft "initially intended to have an official E3 presence, we've made the subsequent decision to move in a different direction." This is a change in messaging from just over a month ago when Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said, "If E3 happens, we will be there, and we will have a lot of things to show."
What caused this change of heart in Ubisoft is unclear. However, it seems like the company found that it could still successfully promote its game lineup without being attached to the Entertainment Software Association's event. We don't know much about the Ubisoft Forward Live event other than it'll take place on June 12 in Los Angeles, but Ubisoft tells VGC that "we look forward to sharing more details with our players very soon."
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ReedPop has not yet commented on the fact that Ubisoft is no longer attending E3 2023.