Rhythm Heaven Groove

This page details pre-release information and/or media for Rhythm Heaven Groove.

After the less-than-satisfactory sales of the previous two entries, the likelihood of a fifth instalment was unlikely. It was a full ten years after Megamix when Rhythm Heaven Groove was revealed.

The game was released on July 2, 2026, and received "generally favorable" reception in popularity, landing at No. 1 in Japanese sales charts maintained by Famitsu, and recording 393,378 copies sold in its first week ahead of Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Star Fox. The game held the top spot for three weeks with more than 600,000 copies sold, only to become beaten behind Splatoon Raiders, before rising back into the top spot for six weeks. It was being pushed down behind Capcom's Onimusha: Way of the Sword when that game was released, until it got back into the top spot again, but when Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave was released, the game slipped down into third place. In the UK, it debuted at No. 5 behind Star Fox and ahead of Football Manager 26.

As of September 20, 2026, the game has sold more than 1,022,613 physical copies in Japan, even surpassing the sales of the series' previous installment.

Development Timeline#

2017

• Aug. 17 - A rumor was posted on Destructoid that "there will never be another Rhythm Heaven game". ¹
• Aug. 24 - In an interview with Eurogamer, series co-producer Yoshio Sakamoto confirmed that the series was not over, and the possibility for a new entry is always open.

2019

• May 7 - Tsunku♂ retweeted an article asking fans what they think is revolutionary about the series, saying that he would do his best to connect the feedback in the article to the next game.

2020

• Apr. 9 - Tsunku♂ replied to a post regarding his interest in continuing the series, expressing ideas for what features a new title on the Switch could have, such as multiplayer or online play.
• Apr. 21 - In an article on Siliconera, Tsunku♂ expressed his hopes in developing a new game for the Nintendo Switch that would work well on the console, advocating for fans to express their interest to Nintendo.
• Jul. 31 - Tsunku♂ retweeted a fan's post in celebration of the fifth anniversary of Megamix, reaffirming a desire for a new game.

2021

• Aug. 3 - Tsunku♂ posted about the 15th anniversary of the series, while also bringing his desire to make another all-new title.

2022

• Jun. 16 - Tsunku♂ retweeted a fan request for a new Nintendo Switch installment.
• Jul. 22 - Haruki Matsumoto releases a digital album called GAIN. This album contains tracks titled "Iikagenna Yatsu" and "Happou busy", which are later reused for the Wiper Bosses and A for Effort minigames in Groove.

2023

• Aug. 3 - Tsunku♂ posted about the 17th anniversary of the franchise, showing appreciation for fan-made animations based on it, and sharing one that was made for the 15th anniversary of Rhythm Heaven for the Nintendo DS.

2025

• Mar. 27 - As one of the games to appear in the Nintendo Direct, Rhythm Heaven Groove is announced with its first gameplay footage in a trailer. Tsunku♂ also posted on his blog, citing how hard the staff had been working on the music and new songs for the past few years, and that they are continuing to work hard with developing the game.

2026

• Apr. 9 - Gameplay of Slice N Dice Kitchen, and the game's release date were both revealed on the Nintendo Today! mobile app, X, and Instagram.
• Jun. 2 - Rhythm Heaven Groove was playable on a preview event alongside Star Fox (which is a Nintendo Switch 2 remake of Star Fox 64), though impressions of the game from people who played it in that event were not released to the public until June 11.
• Jun. 9 - As the first game to be shown in the Nintendo Direct, the Overview Trailer was released, showing several of its Rhythm Games in Play Solo, and features such as the unlockable Beatspell RPG-like mode and the Play with Friends mode. After the Direct, a Nintendo Treehouse Live presentation aired, featuring more gameplay of Rhythm Heaven Groove, along with gameplay of Splatoon Raiders and Star Fox.
• Jun. 12 - Nintendo uploads a Treehouse Live video showcasing Beatspell gameplay.
• Jun. 22 - A downloadable Starter Demo of the game releases onto the Nintendo eShop.
• Jul. 2 - The game is released worldwide. On the same day, seven music tracks from the game were added to the Nintendo Music app as a "special release", and the full version of "Love me forever!" by Ado, which was used in Remix 8, was released as a soundtrack single on streaming services.
• Jul. 22 - "My Telepathy! Watashi No Atsui Kosen" by Yui Sakurai (FRUITS ZIPPER), which was used in Feeding The Beast, was released as a soundtrack single on streaming services.
• Aug. 28 - "Soon be a lady" by Hotzmic, which was used in Remix 2, was released as a soundtrack single on streaming services. The single album also contains "I'm a lady now", that was used for the Honeybee Remix in Rhythm Heaven Megamix as an extra track.

Pre-release Differences#

Japanese Logo#

Early	Final

The early Japanese logo for this game had a different shooting star design compared to the final version.

Li'l Miss Reeds#

In the initial reveal trailer, Li'l Miss Reeds ends her English sentences with "boop", as opposed to the final version of the localization, where she ends them with "beep".

Rhythm Games (Play Solo)#

Hop, Stop N Roll

In the March 27, 2025 Nintendo Direct build of Rhythm Heaven Groove, Hop, Stop N Roll had slightly different designs for the pink and tabby Roly-Poly Kitties, with the green bibs being shaped differently. The pink Kitty's belly also had a white patch, and the tabby Kitty had a slightly different belly, lighter colored arms, and smaller pupils.

Early	Final

Slice N Dice Kitchen

The Slice N Dice Kitchen rhythm game had a completely different appearance in the March 27, 2025 Nintendo Direct, with a more painterly art style. The final version of the game is closer to the series' typical vector-based art style. The player character, Sachiko Diamond, was also completely redesigned, now sporting a ponytail rather than a bob cut.

Early	Final

Soda Hop

Soda Hop had various graphical changes with the rhythm game’s background, most notably the art on the wall behind the Jump-Rope Tutor. The sidewalk is also seemingly unfinished in the early version.

Early	Final

Fruit Flex

The “You” text on Ko Maximum's back was decreased in size. The scenery was also slightly redesigned, most noticeably the palm tree on the left.

Early	Final

References#