Nintendo reveals Switch game Rhythm Heaven Groove release date

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Published Apr 9, 2026, 11:05 AM EDT

Rhythm Heaven Groove may be one of Nintendo's last original Switch games

Get ready for a groovy summer. Nintendo announced Thursday that the newest entry in its Rhythm Heaven game series, Rhythm Heaven Groove, will come to the original Nintendo Switch on July 2. Nintendo announced the game more than a year ago, before the company launched the Switch 2 and tried to reassure its customers that it still had original Switch games in the works.

To wit, Nintendo is still positioning Rhythm Heaven Groove as a Switch game, not a dual release. Of course, Switch 2 owners will be able to play Rhythm Heaven Groove on Nintendo's current-gen system through backward compatibility.

Rhythm Heaven Groove promises "a wealth of eclectic rhythm games along with music produced by the renowned Japanese musician Tsunku♂," according to Nintendo's original announcement. If you've ever played a Rhythm Heaven game, you probably know what to expect: absurd scenarios with increasingly complex but satisfying beat-matching gameplay. If you haven't played a Rhythm Heaven game yet — understandable, since the most recent one came out a decade ago for Nintendo 3DS — they're a delightful mix of simple button-pushing games that will challenge your ability to keep the beat and react on the fly.

The Rhythm Heaven series, also known as Rhythm Paradise and Rhythm Tengoku, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026. The original game, Rhythm Tengoku for Game Boy Advance, was released in Japan in 2006, and was ported to arcades the following year. Rhythm Heaven went global in 2008, with a Nintendo DS sequel that focused on touchscreen play.

Rhythm Heaven Groove is the only original Switch game that Nintendo has on its upcoming lineup, following the release of next week's Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream.

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