02 December 2023 , 07:00
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Forget the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 – Konami’s standout release this year is an ingenious spin on the music rhythm genre.
It feels like a lifetime ago – or a couple of console generations, at least – when music rhythm games were all the rage. I was around 14 when the Guitar Hero / Rock Band boom first took off, giving everyone in my school year good cause to have their homes invaded by cheap plastic instruments. Fast forward to today, however, and you need to look much harder to get your rhythm game fix. And true, while Beat Saber undoubtedly rules the roost in the VR space, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is here to add an inventive spin for players who prefer co-op on home consoles.
Super Crazy Rhythm Castle challenges you and up to three other players to thwart a king ruling over the titular location. Not by engaging in turn-based battles, side-scrolling brawling or casting spells, though, but rather by completing series after series of music-based challenges. And sure, while it would have been enough for developer Second Impact Games to make a bunch to throw into a pick n mix playlist, what sells you on this fantasy is the storybook whimsy that comes from the story at hand.
Taking control of characters such as demons, ravens and even a walking, talking boombox, I’ve had a great time playing this game on Nintendo Switch with a buddy, moving from room to room, and not knowing what will be asked of us next. Because, you see, rather than just tasking us to hit notes as they come running down a track, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle lives up to its name by quite literally remixing what’s asked of us.
One minute we could be challenged to shift cardboard boxes off the runway to see the notes we should be hitting, the next we have to switch between one of two tracks to heal ourselves, or attack a boss that’s occurring on the screen above. If you think you’ve played a music game like Super Crazy Rhythm Castle before, I promise you that you’re wrong. Me and my partner never ceased to be surprised at what bizarre twist would be imposed upon us next, leading to several fits of laughter and panic – all at the same time.
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Feel the noise
All of this would mean nothing were the music itself not a joy to listen to and play. However, Second Impact Games has purposely gone out of its way to commission a whole range of artists you’ve probably never heard of, spanning all kinds of styles and genres such as rock, electronic, pop and flamenco. At first, I thought it’d bother me to be playing through these madcap scenarios to songs I didn’t recognise, but actually it only aids to the chaos and has led me to add even more artists to my workout playlist.
From the incredible earwormy nature of Music2Sync’s Time to Wiggle early on, to the boisterous bagpipe tones of On The Way by Brait, which plays as we face off against DJ Eggplant (yes, a real boss), Super Crazy Rhythm Castle’s soundtrack lives up to the hype. If anything, it’s sometimes annoying that I can’t sit back, relax and listen to the song as intended because of the on-screen shenanigans taking place. Thank heavens for the no-nonsense Music Lab mode that’s included.
I know with Headbangers: Rhythm Royale having recently released too, and being much more widely accessible due to its appearance on Xbox Game Pass as part of the October 2023 drop, this is likely the 2023 music rhythm game people are more likely to gravitate towards.
However, after playing it on a recent Mirror Gaming livestream with colleagues, it quickly became apparent that communication is really a hindrance when you’re trying to play through most of those online mini-games; you can’t really haze or goad one another because you’ll miss the bit or muck up the timing, which’ll make you hate you friends more than love them.
DJ Eggplant is an early boss battles that sees you need to keep the weeds off the runway. (Konami)By comparison, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle’s more linear approach means the stakes aren’t quite as high, and the fact you’re having to work together to achieve the best star rating helps create a friendlier atmosphere – at least in my experience. I’ve not played it with the maximum of four co-op players at once, but knowing what the challenges are now, I can see how Second Impact Games’ title could descend into further chaos.
The only real drawback I found during my time playing Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is that there isn’t nearly enough of it. At roughly four to five hours in length (when not rushing through), you and friends are likely to coast through the whimsical story campaign with ease; that's providing you’re not a perfectionist who needs to three-star every music challenge. That said, bonus modes like the aforementioned Music Lab will keep you immersed in the soundtrack for longer, as will the option to increase the button prompts demanded of you from three to four.
As someone who finds themselves lamenting the days when music rhythm games ruled the Earth, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is a nice reminder that the genre can still break new ground – providing they get crazy and inventive enough. It’s genuinely some of the most fun I’ve had in a co-op game this year, no doubt aided by the fantastic soundtrack and unpredictable scenarios that were lurking around every corner.
While Konami has justifiably gained a lot of heat for the misguided Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, for me it’s almost made up for it by the company having the forethought publish this one.