The player controls a photographer named T.J. Snapper who is tasked with taking pictures of race cars passing by during the Rhythm Kart race. Up to three small yellow cars pass by on the other side of the track, after which they give an audio cue that the player must match in order to properly snap the pictures. There's also a faster, carrot-shaped vehicle, whose audio cue comes as it's passing on the other side of the track. Various people also walk in front of the camera at times, one of them being T.J. Snapper's girlfriend, and a crowd of Racing Fans forms near the end of the game, all of which partially block the view.
During Practice, the player is given a single yellow car at first to get a feel for the timing. In the real game, yellow cars only appear in sets of two or three, never only one.
Perfect!/Ace!?: All pictures show the racers in the middle. A successful noise plays and the crowd cheers. A red circle or green thumbs up appears depending on the version, and T.J. Snapper smiles at his success.
Early!/Late!?: At least one picture shows only the front half (if early) or the back half (if late) of the racer. A "DEE-DOO-DOP"-like noise plays and the crowd applauds. A red triangle or yellow thumbs up pointed sideways appears depending on the version, and T.J. Snapper tilts his head to the side.
Miss...?: At least one picture shows no racers in it. A buzzer plays and the crowd boos. A red cross or red thumbs down appears depending on the version, and T.J. Snapper cries due to his failure.
Results
Editor's feedback:()
Editor's feedback:()
Your timing is off! You got distracted by the crowd.
Your timing is off! You got distracted by the crowd.
Hm... Good enough... I don't know... I guess that was all right.
Hmm... Good enough... I don't know... I guess that was all right.
You've got a great eye! You kept a cool head with the crowd.
You've got a great eye! You kept a cool head with the crowd.
Editor's Feedback
Three cars were tough for you. You had trouble catching two at once. Your timing is off!
Eh. Passable.
Three cars! You're on a roll! Nice shots of two cars! You've got a great eye!
Epilogue
I promise I'll take better shots of you next time!
There's nothing wrong with second place!
Smile for the camera, champ!
I promise I'll take better shots of you next time!
I heard your photo's getting published in a magazine, so I ordered a copy. I'm going to cut it out and make a scrapbook. Be kind to others and work hard. Love, Mom
Tsunku♂: When I received the prototype of this game, it was a game where you press the shutter button at a completely different timing from what I had in mind when I created the music. Most of the music games out there can only be played while looking at the screen. But I wanted to create a rhythm game that could be played without looking at the screen, as long as the rhythm was firmly in place. Therefore, the timing of the car driving and the shutter clicking was not in sync with the sound accents, which I felt was unacceptable. So when Yone-san and his team came to the studio for a meeting, I tried to give them a hard time, but they were completely exhausted... The deadline was approaching, and I thought it'd be too cold... "Should I forgive you?" "But if I do that, will it be shelved?" I was conflicted, but I told them what I thought. After that, I had a chance to check various games for final confirmation, and I found an adjusted "Freeze Frame" casually placed in the corner. And it was exactly as I wanted it to be! I was impressed by how Nintendo's team did it (laughs).
Yone: I was really at the peak of fatigue at that time... What's more, I couldn't clearly decide on when to press the shutter, and at a time when I was at a loss, I was in charge of "Freeze Frame". Tsunku♂-san often gave us advice via email, but when it was in writing, we readers feel like he's scolding us. But when we met Tsunku♂-san in person, we realized that wasn't the case, and it felt like we were regaining our spirits. That's why with "Freeze Frame" after he pointed out the problem, we immediately corrected it.
Trivia
The game starts with a banner reading "Rhythm Kart" with a traffic light count down, possibly a reference to the Mario Kart Series.
Sometimes, when taking a good picture of the racers, the drivers can be seen tilting their heads or showing a V-sign to the camera. Characters from Rhythm Tengoku may also show up in the pictures, such as Rats, Sneaky Spirits, and Ninjas.
Oddly, the player is able to flick in this game in Rhythm Heaven, despite this action not doing anything. This trait is shared with Shoot-'Em-Up, Munchy Monk and Drummer Duel. All other games that don't use the flick don't allow the player to perform it.
Rhythm Heaven Megamix
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