Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is a beautiful world of music and great stories.
Developed by Second Impact Games and published by KONAMI, who are typically known for games like Metal Gear Solid, Zone of the Enders, Super Bomberman R2, and other major games, they’ve once again brought you a new title in the form of Super Crazy Rhythm Castle.
Starting Super Crazy Rhythm Castle, you will first have to choose a character. There are four playable characters – B.Box, Trinity, Jingle, and Mike. Each of them also comes with their description to give a little background; for example, Mike is the Ministry of Music’s top detective, looking into whatever the evil king is up to.
Once you have selected one of the four characters, you will be brought into a world built on what would be music from piano key bridges that emulate a wide variety of sounds, some being classical notes and others being what would sound like a radio station being played.
After making it over these bridges, you will be introduced to the prior king, Jaq, a former king who explains his story about how he went from being a king to a simple servant and how he lost to King Ferdinand. He’ll also explain the rules of the world at hand, and you’ll need to pay attention to this part.
Essentially, when a king is defeated in musical challenges, they must step down and serve you if you win. This is where you will be shown the tutorial and how this game works; it takes on very similar traits from games such as Guitar Hero and various other music-based games. However, the game is much more forgiving when it comes to missing notes, and this won’t result in a loss if you can’t quite keep to the beat.
In this tutorial and in-game, you get to experience the current king trying and cheating his way to the top. Your goal will be to score more than the king in challenges, and after completing the tutorial along with the first level, you will be asked whether or not you’d like to try pro mode or regular mode. Now, depending on how well you did, the game will determine and suggest which mode would best work for you, but you’re free to choose whichever you like.
After selecting which mode to play, getting to your next door will be your next goal. However, choosing to go for the Pro Mode will make it harder to keep up with the song, and you will also have to deal with the king’s attempts at stopping or getting in your way. Keep in mind, the king wants to stay king, so there’s nothing he won’t do to get in your way – be it pushing you off the play or covering your board.
The game can become disorientating as it will have you viewing challenges from different angles while having a moving distraction on the other side. This would be your partner if you are in multiplayer. With the challenges of the storyline, even if you are not perfect, you can still enjoy the music. On a more fun note, the environments, level designs, and music are phenomenally done as well.
From characters to the game setting and level design, the game almost feels like a 3D book of moving colors, pictures with characters, pathways, and challenges being 3D. The background is also blended in quite well, which gives a surprising contrast to Super Crazy Rhythm Castle while giving a unique feel to the game as a whole.
The music in Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is catchy and makes you want to move with the song and just bust a few moves or a light toe tap. The music will more than likely get in your head well after you’ve stopped playing, and it’ll leave a good impression.
Then there are also the beats and sounds to consider, and just how much they add to the overall feel of the game. The controls are mapped out quite well, and you’ll still have the option to remap your controls as well. This is a nice, user-friendly touch for those who have their unique configurations.
The game’s storyline has a lot of depth and richness, with the plot built around the iconic villain VS protagonist setup. However, what makes the game more interesting is the bits of information littered around the world and through the characters you meet.
Not to mention the villain’s general behavior, which gives you some extra insight since he will stop at nothing to slow you down or distract you, such as switching places at random and still having to catch floating coins or doing a sequence of different challenges just to complete the song.
Granted, our dear ol’ antagonist’s constant need to antagonize you can make the game quite frustrating, which just adds to the overall challenge of Super Crazy Rhythm Castle. You’ll find yourself chasing challenges and victories while getting in on that sweet story, because who doesn’t like achievements and accolades?
However, if the story gets too challenging, taking a step is always a good idea, and you’ll eventually get to look at the game with a fresh perspective, maybe even bring a friend into the mix with the epic music.
On to gameplay and challenges, yes, they’re unique, but they do somewhat feel pointless and unnecessary. The thing is, the king wants to stop you, but some of the challenges can take longer than needed when it comes to the current king’s tactics or the tactics of the room monsters or masters.
The game, in general, is gorgeous, and the music is excellent, while catchy, sometimes too catchy. To reference the song Wiggles, you might find yourself humming it well after playing the level, but there is a lot more music to discover and experience. The music in Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is mainly made up of the four pillars of modern music: Rock, Electronic, Flamenco, and Pop.
With about 30 tracks and some hidden gems further into the game, beating a room doesn’t have to be the last time you play it. You can revisit each room to try to beat it again in the hopes of improving your score and hopefully getting those 3 Stars to perfection. Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is a solid rhythm game with a few extras and very well-done levels and characters.
Overall, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle is a fun rhythm game with solid challenges and epic music to keep you wanting more, though it should come with the warning that the songs will get stuck in your head. This is because they are fun and well-composed; this goes alongside the characters and world-building, which keeps the fun going through exploration and the experience in general.
