Rhythm Heaven Released

When you hear a catchy tune, you probably find yourself tapping your fingers in rhythm to the beat. If you can do that, you'll be a natural for Rhythm Heaven, a new game that is now available for the portable Nintendo DS system. Rhythm Heaven asks you to tap, hold and flick your stylus on the touch screen as you keep the beat in more than 50 rhythm-based mini-games. It's hard not to crack a smile as you enjoy the game's unique visual style and infectious game play.

"Rhythm Heaven represents another example of how Nintendo creates new experiences that surprise and delight people," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "The game exudes a simple charm and captures an endearing quality that makes it very appealing to all types of players."

The fun look and feel of Rhythm Heaven make it unlike any other music-themed title on the market. The game stakes out its own distinctive territory in the genre by combining rhythmic sounds with entertaining hand-held challenges. For instance, the Glee Club mini-game features a chorus of three characters. You are in control of one of them and must tap the touch screen at the right time to keep the group singing properly. Sing at the wrong time and you make the other members of your group noticeably sad.

You control Rhythm Heaven entirely with the stylus, though in different ways: One mini-game asks you to flick the stylus across the touch screen on the beat to shoot a bolt through a nut, while another requires you to tap the screen at just the right moment to make monkeys dance to music. The different taps and flicks make everything happen. As the action builds and the songs get faster, the difficulty level ramps up to give you additional challenges.

With its emphasis on keeping the beat, Rhythm Heaven provides a fun, hands-on experience that players can enjoy on the go. You can pick it up and play for just a few minutes or keep coming back to it again and again. Rhythm Heaven represents another of Nintendo's games that has appeal to a wide spectrum of players. People new to video games will be able to pick it up and understand what to do instantly, but veterans will enjoy the incredible variety of challenges on their quest to unlock and master every aspect of the game.

Be sure to watch for the new Rhythm Heaven commercials starring Pop superstar Beyoncé. The first of Beyoncé's two commercials for Nintendo is currently running on a variety of networks, including Adult Swim, Comedy Central, FX, MTV and VH1, and can be seen on www.RhythmHeaven.com.

Remember that Rhythm Heaven, as with nearly the entire library of 850+ Nintendo DS-compatible games, also can play on the new Nintendo DSi system, which launched in the United States on April 5.

For more information about Rhythm Heaven, visit www.RhythmHeaven.com.