Best Rhythm Games For The Nintendo DS

Summary

Rhythm games on Nintendo DS, like Princess Debut, offered diverse gameplay experiences beyond Rock bands.
Jam Sessions allowed players to learn guitar with touchscreen controls, blurring the line between game and tool.
Elite Beat Agents stood out as the highest-rated rhythm game, offering a unique Westernized gameplay experience.

The Nintendo DS was an incredibly popular handheld device when it was first released due to the variety of games that could be enjoyed on it. Out of all the available titles for release in both Japan and North America, rhythm games were some of the best titles to be played on the DS.

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By Benson Bett

From games that allow players to experiment with music, to those that test the reaction time of the player, being able to use the stylus to tap along to the beat made rhythm games perfect for this handheld console. Among the assortment of rhythm games to enjoy, these were by far the best on the DS.

8 Princess Debut

Metascore: 71

Platform(s): Nintendo DS
Released: 2008-09-30
Developer: Cave
Genre(s): Rhythm, Otome

Starting off the DS rhythm games strong, Princess Debut is an adorable title about finding love while also completing various ballroom dances through the rhythm gameplay. Unlike other games that are to be mentioned on this list, Princess Debut is also an Otome title, which means players will likely be searching for all 14 endings of the game as well as trying on different outfits as they find the prince of their dreams.

As a game that is predominantly directed at a younger female audience, it highlighted that the Nintendo DS could be enjoyed by anyone and that there was more to rhythm games than simply rock bands.

7 Jam Sessions

Metascore: 72

Platform(s): Nintendo DS
Released: 2007-09-11
Developer: Plato
Genre(s): Rhythm

Jam Sessions is an interesting title as many consider this game developed by Plato to be more of a tool than a rhythm game. With Jam Sessions in hand, players have the power to learn the guitar. The player is able to use the D-pad to select the chord they wish to play and then use the touch screen to strum the strings of the guitar.

Besides playing the guitar, players were also able to sing along with the songs they played or even plug the DS into an amplifier to make the guitar sounds from the game feel more natural.

6 Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades

Metascore: 72

The cover art for Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades

Platform(s): Nintendo DS
Released: 2008-11-14
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Genre(s): Rhythm

Guitar Hero is a well-remembered and loved rhythm game genre that has also seen a variety of titles on the Nintendo DS. Out of all the games that were released on the Nintendo DS, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades was one of the best rhythm games to be released out of the bunch.

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As a sequel to the original Guitar Hero On Tour, players were able to share songs between the two games, though players had more choice of characters in this second game. Besides these choices, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades naturally had plenty of interesting songs for players to jam to as long as they had the Guitar Grip attachment for their DS.

5 Zubo

Metascore: 75

Platform(s): Nintendo DS
Released: 2009-03-10
Developer: EA Bright Light
Genre(s): Rhythm, Action

Combining action and rhythm gameplay, Zubo was an interesting title to release on the Nintendo DS in 2009 for North America. The world of Zubalon is under attack from Big Head and his army of Zubo clones. It is up to the player and the actual residents of Zubo to go around the various worlds, defeat bosses, and eventually defeat Big Head himself through combat that relies heavily on the touchscreen of the Nintendo DS.

4 Rock Band 3

Metascore: 79

The cover art of Rock Band 3 featuring multiple guitarists, a singer, a drummer, and a pianist

Platform(s): Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
Released: 2010-10-26
Developer: Harmonix
Genre(s): Rhythm

Rock Band 3 was the first mainline game in the Rock Band franchise to be brought to the Nintendo DS. Like many of the previous Rock Band games, it received high praise as it allowed a player to join up with some friends using the local co-op of the Nintendo DS to bring a band together and play a variety of well-known rock songs.

Besides the usual rhythm game modes, unlike previous Rock Band titles, in this game, players can even experience 'Pro' mode. This allowed the players to realistically play the instruments available to them, which became a learning process as well as a game for players.

3 Lego Rock Band

Metascore: 80

LEGO Rock Band

Display card tags widget

Music

Display card system widget

Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget Display card main info widget Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Display card community and brand rating widget

Released: November 3, 2009
Developer(s): Harmonix, Traveller's Tales, Backbone Entertainment
Platform(s): PS3, Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360
Genre(s): Music

Besides the original Rock Band 3 title that was released on the Nintendo DS, the company behind this incredible rhythm franchise also partnered with TT Fushion to bring a Lego version of the title to the Nintendo DS.

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Lego Rock Band plays exactly like the other games, meaning up to four players can work together to play a variety of instruments as well as the vocals from numerous rock songs to make a 'family-friendly' rock experience. Besides the regular gameplay, players could dress up their plastic figurines to truly get into the Lego feel, as well as there also being various other game modes that make the most of the Lego look.

2 Rhythm Heaven

Metascore: 83

NA Cut Game Content- Rhythm Heaven Fever

Platform(s): Nintendo DS
Released: 2009-04-05
Developer: Nintendo SPD
Genre(s): Rhythm

Unsurprisingly, Rhythm Heaven is another prominent rhythm title that was released on the Nintendo DS. This game has countless memorable levels and tunes that some fans of the Rhythm Heaven franchise can still remember to this day. Many players have likely challenged themselves to get a perfect score on Rhythm Heaven, which requires a player to always tap on the beat of the rhythm they are attempting.

It's difficult for players not to get distracted by the various animations of Rhythm Heaven, as interesting stories are likely to be unfolding on the top screen while players are meant to be paying attention to when they are supposed to be joining in.

1 Elite Beat Agents

Metascore: 87

Platform(s): Nintendo DS
Released: 2006-11-08
Developer: iNiS
Genre(s): Rhythm

Out of all the rhythm games that were released for the Nintendo DS, the highest-rated of all and loved by many after its release was Elite Beat Agents. This rhythm title was a Westernized version of the rhythm game Otsu! Tatakae! Quendan, which was just as popular in Japan as Elite Beat Agents was when it graced the handheld console in 2006.

By completing these rhythm levels, players take on the role of the Elite Beat Agents, a government-controlled group that has the main focus of helping people. While some of the music levels have the players defeating monsters, others are a lot more lighthearted, such as helping a babysitter ask out a friend.