Damn, the Switch really is the comeback console, isn’t it?
Indeed, from F-Zero to Advance Wars, Famicom Detective Club to classic Mario RPGs, it’s clear that just about every forgotten fan-favourite is on the table for the console, with all manner of beloved games and franchises making the return for the system.
And it seems like that pattern’s only going to continue even more after today’s Direct. Why?
Because now, the Rhythm Heaven series is also making its Switch comeback! Yep, as the title suggests, the seemingly forgotten WarioWare sister series is also now returning on Switch, with Rhythm Heaven Groove being announced for release in 2026. Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen it already:
As you can tell, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from the series. You’ve got a bunch of wacky characters and rhythm based ‘microgames’, and it’s your job to finish them by performing actions in time with the beat. It’s a simple formula, but one that’s worked well in every instalment so far.
So, it’s not entirely unsurprising it stayed the same here. The system worked, and it’s going to work fine in this game too.
What is surprising however, is the 2026 release date. Indeed, while most of the other games in the Direct were 2025 titles, like Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime: Beyond.
Rhythm Heaven Groove is a confirmed 2026 release instead. And that makes us wonder… why?
Why release a Switch 1 game after the Switch 2 has already come out?
Because on the one hand, we do kinda get it. The Switch 1 already has a massive install base, and they might want something to tide them over if they can’t buy the Switch 2 in year 1. We get that.
But at the same time, it hasn’t really worked out for those prior systems. Games released on them after their successors were already out, usually failed to sell.
And while the backwards compatibility may make it a bit different from the 3DS or Wii U to Switch jump…
That’s no panacea either. Previous Nintendo handhelds were also backwards compatible, like the Game Boy Advance, DS and 3DS.
Yet it didn’t really help the games released in their twilight years at all. The interest just wasn’t there, and the backwards compatibility aspect didn’t really boost the sales at all.
So, we do worry a bit here. Rhythm Heaven is a niche franchise at the best of times, and one that needs all the help it can get sales wise. Having it release on the Switch 1 months in 2026 may not have been Nintendo’s best idea.
But hey, here’s hoping our fears are overblown here. It’s a great franchise, and one that really deserved more than two games in the last decade. Let’s hope this revival makes that dream a reality.
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