Rhythm Games - Part 1: The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You

I've only just recently joined the iPod Revolution maybe 4 months ago, which is surprising for a lover of geek gadgetry like me. And in the 4 months that I've had it, I -- like many others who have come before me -- now wonder how I lived without it all these years. To have all of my music at my fingertips (after three months of ripping my CDs) is far more useful than I could have ever imagined. I've listened to songs recently that I haven't listened to in years, and it's always great to rediscover a song you loved before.

And one shocking revelation that I've had, since getting the iPod, was this: I have a whole lot of lyrics memorized! Some of those songs that I've been rediscovering haven't left my subconscious, apparently. I can sing along with songs I haven't heard in ages with practically no effort. It's like the words were just there, waiting to get back out.


I guess this shouldn't be much of a shock. Researchers have shown for a long time now that music can be an aid in memorizing just about anything. I've had people recite R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World (As We Know It)" back to me without missing a beat. Yet if you ask the same person to memorize the preamble to the Constitution, it could possibly give them fits. It's amazing how much music aids the memory. Heck, I once memorized an entire Game Theory theorem word for word by making it the lyrics to a fake song I wrote right before a midterm. I ended up having that theorem memorized for a good year or two afterwards. Music just is like a mystical power that taps into that area of the brain that only Raymond Babbitt can access at will. But honestly, how many opportunities does one actually get to use this power?

Enter: the rhythm game. I believe that everyone needs to have an outlet for that repressed talent. It's why good music makes you want to dance to the beat. It's why so many people love to sing in the shower or their car. But for those who cannot sing nor have the time to learn a musical instrument, rhythm games are the only way one has the opportunity to utilize that hidden, musical talent that one possesses. This makes rhythm games as essential and important a game genre as Role Playing Games, First Person Shooters, Real-Time Simulations, Sports Games, and Platform Games. For both the musically inclined and the musically challenged, the rhythm game can provide the outlet that might not be available anywhere else. Thus, everyone owes it to himself/herself to at least try rhythm games because very few experiences allow us to enjoy music more.

But if we stop and think about it, why are they so fun? Most of them are really glorified games of Simon, right? You are literally told exactly what you are supposed to do. In almost every rhythm game, you are given a sequence you are supposed to mimic and you, note for note, mimic it -- whether it is with your controller, your feet, a plastic guitar, or your stylus. There's really no gameplay when you think about it. You don't get any tactical strategy. You're not solving any puzzles. You don't get to level up your character. You literally just do what you are told to do. So why are these games so much fun? I think the answer is two-fold.

First of all, it all goes back to the discovery I made after getting my iPod. Music has the magical power of making anything easily memorized. After listening to a song numerous times, you cannot help but have the words memorized eventually whether you tried to or not. And it's this ability that makes rhythm games so much fun: there's almost no effort in memorizing the "track."

Various games require memory. Racing games like Gran Turismo need you to remember which twist and turn is coming up in the track, as one brain lapse could throw your whole lap time off. Shooters like Gradius V require you to memorize stages oftentimes, particularly in instances where taking a wrong turn leads to a dead end or moving too slowly causes walls to form in front of you. Many boss battles, such as the ones in Metal Gear Solids 1 and 2, have attack patterns that must be memorized in order to come out victorious. And for most of these examples, the memorization takes some effort.

But with rhythm games, memorization is almost automatic. Sure, the first time you play a difficult song may be overwhelming, but you'll find after a few plays that you'll have the sequence memorized without even trying. Even if you don't have the actual notes you must play memorized, the timing/rhythm in which they must be played will be ingrained in your mind forever. Little cues like hearing a song about to go from a verse to the chorus oftentimes can be a reminder that a particularly difficult sequence in coming up. It's almost as if you have hints about what is about to occur. And it all happens because of the music.

Thus, you become more and more skilled at a song with a natural progression. Just like memorizing lyrics to a song without trying, your ability to perform something difficult in a rhythm game seems to become stronger and stronger just through repeated play. This is very empowering to the gamer. In most other games, you must develop a new technique, learn a new strategy, or spend some time powering up first. But with rhythm games, it's all very natural, and thus very comforting and enjoyable.

The other reason I think rhythm games are so fun goes back to something I hinted at in an older post of mine: that proverbial zone. I am a firm believer of this mythical "zone" being exactly what makes video games fun. Any gamer out there will fully admit that games become their most enjoyable when you can transcend your normal, every day playing to reach the level where you are playing a game purely on instinct and at a very high level. And no type of game exemplifies this ability better than rhythm games, the most powerful evidence being that no other gaming genre provides the ability for one to become a "virtuoso" in the game.

Let me try to explain that last statement, as it is obvious that people become experts at just about every game. The distinction I am trying to point out with rhythm games is this: once you become an expert at the first Guitar Hero, you can play brand new songs on Guitar Hero II for the first time and still have a chance to not miss a single note. Once you've become so proficient at reading the notes in a rhythm game, it's almost magical when you combo your way through a particularly tough sequence. Oftentimes, in games like Beatmania and Guitar Hero, I'll see a really tough sequence come at me and, though my eyes and brain cannot consciously process what I see, my fingers just automatically pull off every note for a complete combo, much to my own amazement. I'm sure I'm not the only person to have ever experienced this, and I find that that experience is more unique to the rhythm game than any other genre.

Thus, expert DDR players will get a full combo on songs they've never seen before and Guitar Hero II players will pull off those tough guitar solos the first time they see it. And even if a song is trickier than expected, that automatic memorization will help you eventually pass the song. And once that happens, playing these games is a joy like no other gaming genre. I think all of us secretly want to be musicians, so when it feels like we are "playing" the song on instinct, it's just a great feeling.

For the most part, the rhythm game still seems to fall under a niche audience. Few people I know are willing to try them and some even go as far as to ridicule them. I guess there's something about them inherently embarrassing. Whether it's Dance Dance Revolution or Parappa the Rappa, people will not allow themselves to play these games for fear of looking foolish or childish. And I think that's a huge shame, because anyone with any sort of musical bone in their body should play rhythm games. Those who think it is "uncool" to play them are seriously robbing themselves of one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences ever. And once they finally give it a try, like the lyrics to Cheap Cheap's rap in Parappa the Rappa, the step rhythm to Dead End in Dance Dance Revolution 3rd Mix, and the actual notes in the guitar solo for War Pigs in Guitar Hero II, it'll be something they'll never forget.

Next: Part 2 - Guitar Hero II review