Rhythm Game

Rhythm Games (リズムゲーム), informally known as Minigames or just games, are the main feature of each installment in the Rhythm Heaven Series.

Description
After the player gets past the Introduction, the first rhythm game is available to play. These games can be played with buttons (or sometimes tap controls) to the beat of the music, the timing depending on each game. Most games allow the player to Practice before diving into the real thing, which can be skipped after completing the stage. The player can pause the game and quit at any time. In Rhythm Heaven Megamix, they also have the option to start over, instead of quitting and reopening the game all over again.

After reaching the end of the game, the player receives a rank depending on their performance. If the player gets at least an OK, they unlock the next game. If the player gets a Superb, they also earn a Medal, and the game will be eligible for a Perfect Campaign. After the clearing of a game, the player's Flow score is recalculated based on their performance, though it doesn't impact the game in any way. Each game is part a Stage, which usually ends with a Remix containing the games from the respective Stage.

In Rhythm Heaven Megamix, rhythm games are part of the story, where the player and Tibby must clear them in order to restore the flow to each Land and Tower they visit. The player's flow serves as a mark of progress in this game, and is integral to the story. It does not get calculated based on the player's recent performance, instead it simply shows the player's average score across all rhythm games. It also impacts the difficulty in Figure Fighter VS. There are 18 rhythm games available only in the Shop, where they can only be purchased with Flow Balls. Playing all games is commemorated with a Badge.

Versions
Some rhythm games have modified versions. While these are not given a catch-all name within the games, for the purposes of the, these are dubbed "versions", derived from internal data in Rhythm Heaven, Rhythm Heaven Fever and Rhythm Heaven Megamix, where the graphics files for these are stored in folders labeled "ver0", "ver1" and so on, or "ver_long", "ver_arrange" and such. The internal data for Rhythm Heaven Megamix is used to label the following versions as such:
 * Short: Shortened versions of rhythm games found in Honeybee Land, Machine Land, Citrus Land and Barbershop Land in Rhythm Heaven Megamix. These feature completely new music and appearences for the games, and a lower difficulty.
 * Long: The most common type, which are found from the start of the game until the Staff Credits. Some internal data may call these "Normal" versions, but most of the time they are left without a label. These games appear in Donut Land, Songbird Land, the Towers in Lush Woods, the Lands in Heaven World and the Shop in Rhythm Heaven Megamix. Interestingly, the internal filenames of the graphics for the Endless Games in Rhythm Heaven Megamix label them as Long versions.
 * Arrange: These games appear in Revival, Technician and Last Technician in Rhythm Tengoku, after the Staff Credits in Rhythm Heaven and Rhythm Heaven Fever, and in Mamarin Palace in Rhythm Heaven Megamix. They have an arranged version of the original song, a new appearance, and often a higher difficulty. Most of them in Rhythm Tengoku and some in Rhythm Heaven don't feature unique music or appearances, however.

Lore-wise, each version can be seen as a part of the general story to a rhythm game; for example, most Arrange versions are presented as a sequel to the story shown in the Long version. Meanwhile, the story seen in the Short versions is shown to lead in to that of the Long version, making it a prequel.

Other Versions
There are other versions a game can have, though none of them are internally labeled anything special. These don't award Medals or Perfects.
 * Endless: Most Endless Games are unique, however some are endless versions of regular games.
 * Two Player: Some games have a version in the Two-Player Menu.
 * Staff Credits: Airboarder and Night Walk contain the credits for their respective installment.
 * Guitar Lessons: The gameplay from Rockers and Rockers 2 is used in the Guitar Lessons.
 * Extra Games: Four of the Rhythm Games in Rhythm Tengoku also appear as Extra Games in Rhythm Heaven Fever.

The Endless Games in Rhythm Heaven Megamix first appear as a challenge set by the Gatekeeper Trio, who offer three trials of varying difficulty. Clearing all of these trials unlocks the Endless Game proper at the Museum.
 * 初級 (Beginner): The internal game given to the Saffron Trial of each game.
 * 中級 (Intermediate): The internal game given to the Saltwater Trial of each game.
 * 上級 (Advanced): The internal game given to the Paprika Trial of each game.

List of Rhythm Games
See also: List of Scrapped Rhythm Games
 * In Rhythm Tengoku
 * In Rhythm Heaven
 * In Rhythm Heaven Fever
 * In Rhythm Heaven Megamix