Rhythm game or rhythm action is a genre of music-themed action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments, and require players to press buttons in a dictated sequence in time with music. Many rhythm games include multiplayer modes in which players compete for the highest score or cooperate as a simulated musical ensemble. Rhythm games often feature novel game controllers shaped like musical instruments such as guitars and drums to match notes while playing songs. Certain dance-based games require the player to physically dance on a mat, with pressure-sensitive pads acting as the input device.
The 1996 title PaRappa the Rapper has been deemed the first influential rhythm game, whose basic template formed the core of subsequent games in the genre. In 1997, Konami's Beatmania sparked an emergent market for rhythm games in Japan. The company's music division, Bemani, released a series of music-based games over the next several years. The most successful of these was the 1998 dance mat game Dance Dance Revolution, which was the only Bemani title to achieve large-scale success outside Japan, and would see numerous imitations of the game from other publishers.
Other Japanese games, particularly Guitar Freaks, led to development of the Guitar Hero and Rock Band series that used instrument-shaped controllers to mimic the playing of actual instruments. Spurred by the inclusion of popular rock music, the two series revitalized the rhythm genre in the Western Market, significantly expanded the console video game market and its demographics. The games provided a new source of revenue for the artists whose music appeared on the soundtracks. The later release of Rock Band 3 as well as the even later Rocksmith would allow players to play the songs using a real electric guitar. By 2007 rhythm games were considered to be one of the most popular video game genres, behind other action games. However, by 2009, the market was saturated by spin-offs from the core titles, which led to a nearly 50% drop in revenue for music game publishers; within a few years, both series announced they would be taking a hiatus from future titles.
Despite these setbacks, the rhythm game market continues to expand, introducing a number of dance-based games like Ubisoft's Just Dance and Harmonix's Dance Central that incorporate the use of motion controllers and camera-based controls like the Kinect. Existing games also continue to thrive on new business models, such as the reliance on downloadable content to provide songs to players. The introduction of the eighth generation of console hardware has also spurred return of Activision's Guitar Hero and Harmonix's Rock Band titles in late 2015.
Definition and game design
Rhythm game, or rhythm action,(2007-06-30). "Rhythm action games on PlayStation" . PlayStation.com. Retrieved 2009-04-03.Alexander, Leigh (2008-03-02). "EA Announces DS Rhythm Action Exclusive Zubo" . GamaSutra. Retrieved 2009-04-03. is a subgenre of action game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. The genre includes dance games such as Dance Dance Revolution and music-based games such as Donkey Konga and Guitar Hero. Games in the genre challenge the player to press buttons at precise times: the screen shows which button the player is required to press, and the game awards points both for accuracy and for synchronization with the beat. The genre also includes games that measure rhythm and pitch, in order to test a player's singing ability,Frushtick, Russ. "Rock Band Review". UGO. Retrieved 2009-04-03. and games that challenge the player to control their volume by measuring how hard they press each button.Smith, David (2002-04-14). "Mad Maestro" . IGN. Retrieved 2009-04-04. While songs can be sight read,Brudvig, Erik (2007-08-22). "GC 2007: Guitar Hero III Progress Report" . IGN. Retrieved 2009-04-03. players usually practice to master more difficult songs and settings.Cowan, Danny (2006-11-08). "Critical Reception: RedOctane's/Harmonix's Guitar Hero II" . GamaSutra. Retrieved 2009-04-03. Certain rhythm games offer a challenge similar to that of Simon, in that the player must watch, remember, and repeat complex sequences of button-presses.Shoemaker, Brad (2003-12-05). "Space Channel 5 Special Edition Review" . GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-04-03. Rhythm-action can take a minigame format with some games blending rhythm with other genres or entirely comprising minigame collections.
In some rhythm games, the screen displays an avatar who performs in reaction to the player's controller inputs. However, these graphical responses are usually in the background, and the avatar is more important to spectators than it is to the player.Gerstmann, Jeff (2003-11-10). "Karaoke Revolution Review ". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-04-03. In single-player modes, the player's avatar competes against a computer-controlled opponent, while multiplayer modes allow two player-controlled avatars to compete head-to-head. The popularity of rhythm games has created a market for speciality input devices.Rollings & Adams, p. 442 These include controllers that emulate musical instruments, such as guitars, drums, or maracas. A dance mat, for use in dancing games, requires the player to step on pressure-sensitive pads. However, most rhythm games also support more conventional input devices, such as control pads.
History Origins and popularity in Japan (1980s–2000) Human Entertainment's Dance Aerobics was an early rhythm-based video game released in 1987, and allows players to create music by stepping on Nintendo's Power Pad peripheral for the NES video game console. The 1996 title PaRappa the Rapper has been credited as the first true rhythm game,Kasavin, Greg (2006-01-28). "The GameSpot Top 10 Rhythm Games: PaRappa the Rapper" . GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-04-03. and as one of the first music-based games in general.Ashcraft, p. 52 It requires players to press buttons in the order that they appear on the screen, a basic mechanic that formed the core of future rhythm games. The success of PaRappa the Rapper sparked the popularity of the music game genre.Webster, Andrew (2008). "Roots of rhythm: a brief history of the music game genre" . Ars Technica. Retrieved 2011-10-13. In 1997, Konami released the DJ-themed rhythm game Beatmania in Japanese arcades. Its arcade cabinet features buttons similar to those of a musical keyboard, and a rubber pad that emulates a vinyl record.Ashcraft, p. 54 Beatmania was a surprise hit, inspiring Konami's Games and Music Division to change its name to Bemani in honor of the game, and to begin experimenting with other rhythm game concepts.Ashcraft, p. 56 Its successes include GuitarFreaks, which features a guitar-shaped controller, and 1998's Pop'n Music, a game similar to Beatmania in which multiple colorful buttons must be pressed.Ashcraft, p. 58 While the GuitarFreaks franchise continues to receive new arcade releases in Japan, it was never strongly marketed outside of the country. This allowed Red Octane and Harmonix to capitalize on the formula in 2005 with the Western-targeted Guitar Hero. In general, few Japanese arcade rhythm games were exported abroad because of the cost of producing the peripherals and the resulting increases in retail prices. The 1999 Bemani title DrumMania featured a drum kit controller, and could be linked with GuitarFreaks for simulated jam sessions. Similarly, this concept was later appropriated by Harmonix for their game Rock Band.
Dance Dance Revolution, released in 1998, is a rhythm game in which players dance on pressure-sensitive pads in an order dictated by on-screen instructions.Ashcraft, pp. 52–53 The game was highly successful both in and outside Japan, unlike games such as GuitarFreaks, DrumMania and Beatmania, though the latter had some success in Europe.Ashcraft, p. 57 Released the same year, Enix's Bust a Groove features a similar focus on dancing but employs a more conventional input method. The game contains competitive one-on-one battles, and grants the player more freedom than typical rhythm games.Gouskos, Carrie (2006-01-28). "The GameSpot Top 10 Rhythm Games: Bust a Groove" . GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
NanaOn-Sha, the creators of PaRappa the Rapper, released Vib-Ribbon in 1999. It eschews instrument-shaped controllers; instead, players maneuver the protagonist through an obstacle course by pressing buttons at correct times. The game's levels are generated by the background music, which players may change by inserting audio CDs. While it was praised for its unique style and artistry, Vib-Ribbons simple vector graphics proved difficult to market, and the game was never released in North America.Calvert, Justin (2006-01-28). "The GameSpot Top 10 Rhythm Games: Vib-Ribbon" . GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-04-03. Sega's Samba de Amigo, released in arcades in 1999 and on the Dreamcast in 2000, features maraca-shaped, motion-sensitive controllers. The game allows for two-player gameplay, provides a spectacle for onlookers and allows players to socialise while gaming.Gerstmann, Jeff (2006-01-28). "The GameSpot Top 10 Rhythm Games: Samba de Amigo" . GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-04-03. In 2000, Taiko no Tatsujin combined traditional Japanese drums with contemporary pop music, and became highly successful in Japanese arcades.Ashcraft, pp. 59–60 The game was later released on consoles in the West as Taiko Drum Master, and the franchise continues to receive new installments in Japan, as well as console releases around the world. Gitaroo Man featured a guitar-playing protagonist four years before the release of Guitar Hero, though the game employed a conventional rather than guitar-shaped controller.
Popularity in the West (2001–2004) Harmonix was formed in 1995 from a computer music group at MIT. Beginning in 1998, the company developed music games inspired by PaRappa the Rapper.Rigopulos, Alex, in Steinberg, p. 6 In 2001, the company released Frequency, which puts the player in control of multiple instrument tracks. Ryan Davis of GameSpot wrote that the game provides a greater sense of creative freedom than earlier rhythm titles. Frequency was critically acclaimed; however, marketing was made difficult by the game's abstract style, which removed the player's ability to perform for onlookers. In 2003, Harmonix followed up Frequency with the similar Amplitude.(2003-01-08). . GameSpot. Retrieved 2010-07-05. The company later released a more socially driven, karaoke-themed music game in Karaoke Revolution (2003). Donkey Konga, a GameCube title developed by Namco and released in 2003, achieved widespread success by leveraging Nintendo's Donkey Kong brand.
Peripheral-based games (2005–2013) In 2005, Gitaroo Man'''s creator Keiichi Yano released Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, a rhythm game for the Nintendo DS that utilizes the handheld's touchscreen features. It became a highly demanded import title, which led to the release of an altered version of the game in the West—Elite Beat Agents—and a sequel in Japan.Kohler, Chris (2006-09-16). Later in 2007, an open-source computer game known as Osu! was released, mimmicking the gameplay of the original series. "Cheer Squad: Why iNiS Wants to Make You Happier". 1UP.com. Retrieved 2009-04-14.