Sarge and Squadmates
The Squadmates[1] (隊員たち[2]?, Taiin-tachi) are soldiers who appear in Marching Orders in Rhythm Tengoku and Rhythm Heaven Megamix.
Artwork from Rhythm Heaven Megamix
Physical Appearance
The squadmates are seen wearing green military outfits and green boots. Their suits cut off short, leaving a lot of their legs visible. They have black eyes, pink cheeks, and always have a smile despite the harsh training from the Sarge. The helmets they wear makes it obvious if one's not marching in sync thanks to the bright colors.[1] In adittion, there are no helmets for boys because only girls are allowed to enter the "Marcher".[3]
Backstory
The squadmates belong to the special unit called the "Marcher". The squadmates are still inexperienced, angering the sergeant. Since following orders as a unit is important in their line of work, even when marching they give it their all. If the rhythm is off by even a little, Sarge will be furious.[4]
The playable squadmate, also referred to as the rookie, keeps an Activity Log.
On April 16, they enlisted in the "Marcher" group, vowing to do their best to help everyone.
On April 20, they marched out of line with the others, and the Sarge got angry.
On April 28, the squadmates cleaned up the front of the station. An old lady came up to the rookie and thanked her for making things clean and gave her candy.
On May 4, the rookie is worried about getting kicked out, because she is feeling listless.
On May 7, Sarge tells her that he played with rabbits in space. The rookie questions his health. They make a note of it the day later.
On May 16, the rookie notes they've been seeing people who look like the Sarge, wondering if she's imagining things.
On May 22, she notes that she saw the Sarge doing something, but the log entry ends before revealing what it is.
The game Marching Orders itself may take place several times between April 16 and May 7, as each epilogue seems to line up with certain events. The epilogues provide these follow-up events:
Try Again: In Rhythm Tengoku, (presumably) other members of the "Marcher" leave the squadmates behind while going to complete their mission. In Rhythm Heaven Megamix, the squadmates are instead shown walking in the rain back to basic training.
OK: In Rhythm Tengoku, the squadmates are shown on cleanup duty at the station, like the event on April 28. In Rhythm Heaven Megamix, the squadmates are shown preparing for their mission.
Superb: In Rhythm Tengoku and Rhythm Heaven Megamix, the squadmates are shown rescuing an alien who had crashlanded in the ocean. It is possible this mission is how Sarge got asscociated with the Alien Bunnies.
It is unknown when Marcher 
, where the squadmates are training for a lost dog rescue mission, takes place in relation to these events. It is also unclear if the squadmates featured there are the same ones as in Marching Orders.
Purpose
Marching Orders is the first game in Rhythm Tengoku to use the B button. It's also the first keep-the-beat game, which helps the player learn how to keep a beat with the A button for long periods of time.
Apperances
- File:Marcher 3DS icon.png Marching Orders
- File:1st Remix icon.png Remix 1
- File:6th Remix icon.png Remix 6
- File:7th Remix icon.png Remix 7
- File:8th Remix icon.png Remix 8
- File:Marcher Tempo icon.png Marcher
- File:1st Remix Tempo icon.png Extra Remix
- File:Shoot-'Em-Up 2 icon.png Shoot-'Em-Up 2 (reference)
- File:Final Remix icon.png Final Remix
Trivia
- In Rhythm Tengoku, the sprite of the squadmate's head when facing forward is separated into the helmet and the head. The head has red hair identical to what is seen in the credits of the game. The rotated head sprites for the turns and all the sprites in Rhythm Heaven Megamix are a single sprite, however.
- In Rhythm Heaven Megamix, however, they are shown to have long hair. The reason for this change is unknown, although a piece of Rhythm Tengoku fanart published in 2008 by Ryo Hirao features interpretations of the Squadmates with similar hairstyles.[5]
- In Rhythm Heaven, the Shoot-'Em-Up Radio Lady is dressed like a squadmate during Shoot-'Em-Up 2.
Gallery
Artwork from Rhythm Tengoku.
- Male cadets.PNG
As seen in the credits from Rhythm Tengoku.
Artwork from Rhythm Tengoku (Arcade) for Marcher
- Shoot 'em up 2 superb.png
The Shoot-'Em-Up Radio Lady dressed like a squadmate (Shoot-'Em-Up 2).
- Marching Cadet.png
Sprite from Rhythm Heaven Megamix.
- Chibi Cadet.png
Artwork from Nintendo Badge Arcade.
As seen in the "OK" epilogue from Rhythm Heaven Megamix.
The mentioned artwork by Ryo Hirao. Notice their hairstyles.
In Other Languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese |
<span class="tooltip" title="Taiin-tachi Chīmu" style="text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-style: dotted">隊員たち チーム |
The Members Team |
 EnglishNOA |
Squadmates[1] Rookie[1] |
|
 EnglishNOE |
Squadmates[1] Rookie[1] |
|
 French |
La troupe[6] | The troop |
 Spanish |
Cadete[7] Pelotón |
Cadet Platoon |
 Italian |
Squadra Plotone Novellino[8] |
Team Newbie Platoon |
 Korean |
팀을 | Team |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "The colors on this helmet make it super obvious if you're not marching in sync with your squadmates. So you better toe the line, rookie!" ~ Rhythm Item description for Marching Orders, Rhythm Heaven Megamix
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/brij/chara/stage01.html
- ↑ "色がキッパリしてるため、リズムがズレてる人は、目立ちます！また、マーチャには女子しか入ることができないため、男子用のヘルメットは、ありません…。男子のみなさん、あしからず。" (The colors are so bright that anyone whose rhythm is off is going to stand out! Also, there are no helmets for boys, as only girls are allowed to enter the Marcher... Sorry, boys.) ~ Rhythm Item description for Marching Orders, Rhythm Tengoku: The Best Plus
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n08/brij/chara/stage01.html
- ↑ https://www.pixiv.net/artworks/866954
- ↑ "Ce casque a la particularité de camoufler un régiment parfaitement coordonné. Mais attention ! Une seule erreur de pas et vous trahissez la présence de toute la troupe ! Alors... soyez solidaire !" ~ Rhythm Item description for En avant, marche!, Rhythm Paradise Megamix
- ↑ "Los colores de este casco son tan llamativos que, si te confundes al marchar, todo el mundo se dará cuenta. Así que... ¡no te despistes, cadete!" ~ Rhythm Item description for Marcha marchosa, Rhythm Paradise Megamix
- ↑ "I colori di questo elmetto rendono la vita difficile a chiunque non riesca a marciare in sincrono con il resto della squadra. Meglio stare in campana, novellino!" ~ Rhythm Item description for Marcia ritmata, Rhythm Paradise Megamix