The Best Music And Rhythm Games On Switch

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home February 8, 2025 27 Views 24 Min Read
The Best Music And Rhythm Games On Switch



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Summary

  • The Nintendo Switch offers a unique gaming experience with its touchscreen and motion control features, making it a great platform for music and rhythm games.
  • Aaero, Samba De Amigo: Party Central, and Cytus Alpha are some of the best rhythm-based games available on the Nintendo Switch, offering engaging gameplay and catchy soundtracks.
  • Voez, Groove Coaster: Wai Wai Party!!!!, and Just Shapes & Beats are other notable rhythm games on the Switch that provide immersive experiences and fun multiplayer modes.

The Nintendo Switch is home to many different games spanning a wide range of genres. Thanks to the console’s unique touchscreen features, motion controls, and handheld functionality, certain titles that might not find success on PlayStation or Xbox are particularly appealing on the platform.

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A prime example is the music and rhythm genre, which doesn’t just mesh well with the console but is also very well represented. There are a plethora of exciting titles that will either have you moving around your living room or tapping a button with excellent timing. If you’re looking for a new rhythm-based game to enjoy, these are the best ones available on Nintendo Switch.

Updated on January 31, 2025, by Kyle Chamaillard: The Nintendo Switch has a dense library of foot-tapping rhythm games, so we’ve updated this article to include even more essential titles.

18

Aaero: Complete Edition

Aaero spaceship releasing light in stages.

The music genre has seen various “hybrid” titles of late – proving that these types of games can be more than just button tapping. S2 Entertainment’s Aaero reinforces this notion, with some trance-enduring visuals and hypnotic rhythm-based gameplay.

This psychedelic journey fuses space shooting and maneuvering with a catchy soundtrack. The appealing techno and trance music cleverly syncs up with a shifting path that must be followed in order to rake up points and dodge obstacles.

One of Aaero’s highlights is the shooting sections that time out the action to the beat of a song.

17

Samba De Amigo: Party Central

Amiga and Amigo dance together in Samba de Amigo Party Central.

The original Samba de Amigo launched in arcades in 1999, and after a very long hiatus, the music-loving monkey finally made a return in 2023 with Party Central. Instead of buying separate maraca controllers for an extra price, you can use your Joy-Con in this motion-based rhythm game to play through the story mode or against others online.

One of the best parts about Samba de Amigo: Party Central is the diverse soundtrack. Of course, there are popular songs like “Escape from the City” from classic Sega games, but most of the library is full of licensed songs by artists like Rina Sawayama, Lady Gaga, Flo Rida, and more.

Those tracks – and a solid line-up of DLC! – are sure to keep the party going all night long.

16

Cytus Alpha

An arrow lines up against the lane in Cytus Alpha.

This simple, yet appealing rhythm game is a great example of how the Switch’s touchscreen capabilities can significantly enhance the gameplay and immersion. This seamless input makes the free-flowing mechanics even more intuitive. Cytus Alpha by Flyhigh Works has you tap, drag, and hold notes to earn high scores and combos.

With the slew of color-coded cues on screen, synchronized with the rhythmic soundtrack, the game feels akin to a digital instrument as much as a video game. It’s a unique and engaging experience.

It might seem simple at first, but later stages provide a difficult challenge for anyone whose fingers are ready to dance across the screen.

15

Voez

A woman takes a photo of the city landscape in Voez.

Voez often gets brought up by fans of both indie games and musical experiences. The game quietly but consistently built a passionate fanbase following its mobile release in 2016. Voez was eventually ported to the Nintendo Switch, and it fits the handheld hardware and touchscreen like a glove.

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Like other music-based games, Voez requires you to tap on the screen almost like a percussive instrument. It’s nice that you have the option to use button inputs on the Joy-Cons, but the experience is much better with the personal touch. Amidst a colorful, visually pleasing backdrop, scrolling notes appear, prompting you to tap and hold different variations of them.

14

Groove Coaster: Wai Wai Party!!!!

Four players compete against each other on a pink stage.

As you likely gathered from its cute aesthetic and peculiar title, Groove Coaster is an anime-inspired music game. This extends from the art style to the delightful soundtrack. The catchy J-pop tunes blend perfectly with the charming look and feel of the game.

If you’ve played the PlayStation 2 cult rhythm game Gitaroo Man, then you may recognize a similar mechanic that melds rhythmic button taps with directional movement.

The fluid motion of the on-screen action proves hypnotic and thrilling all in one measure, and you and three friends can face off for further excitement and fun.

13

Bit.Trip Presents…Runner2: Future Legend Of Rhythm Alien

Bit.Trip Presents… Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

Released

February 26, 2013

The Bit.Trip series began in 2008 with Bit.Trip Beat and continued to grow until around 2018. While each entry offers a unique experience that blends retro gameplay concepts with modern mechanics, Runner2 is often praised as the high-water mark because of its colorful and challenging level design and excellent soundtrack.

Runner2 is a rhythm-based auto-runner that requires you to jump and duck under obstacles to the beat of a song. The music never gets boring, and Disasterpiece, the composer behind Hyper Light Drifter and films like It Follows, even worked on the tunes for retro stages. Charles Martinet also voices the game’s narrator if that wasn’t enough to convince you to check Runner2 out.

12

Trombone Champ

Some rhythm games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band allow you to fulfill your wishes of being a superstar, but Trombone Champ will make you feel like an unsupervised amateur marching band kid in the best ways possible. Despite the silliness surrounding the game, it’s still a unique experience worth checking out if you’re looking for a good laugh or an incredibly tough challenge.

Most of the songs in Trombone Champ are classic public-domain bangers like “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Skip To My Lou”, but playing these familiar tunes on a trombone is more difficult than you might imagine. There are multiple ways to engage with the game on Switch, including using both Joy-Cons to simulate the feeling of holding an actual Trombone.

11

Just Shapes & Beats

Just Shapes & Beats is exactly what its title describes. Nonetheless, it makes for an enjoyable rhythmic trip – and one that throws in some surprisingly tricky gameplay. Sometimes a game doesn’t always need a compelling narrative to be as fun as this explosive title.

The aesthetic is reminiscent of the Atari era, featuring a hodgepodge of basic shapes and splotches. Still, there’s ample action and excitement to be had, as you will need to dodge and weave through an onslaught of hazards.

The projectiles, as well as their movement and trajectory, essentially sync up with the intense soundtrack. This gives a distinct feeling of playing against the music itself.

An enjoyable online mode also helps flesh out the experience.

10

Wandersong

Wandersong is a colorful and delightful puzzle-adventure game created by the same developer behind Chicory and Beastieball. After having an epiphany about the end of the world, The Bard must travel around the globe to learn every piece of a song from the seven Overseers. The game seamlessly combines music with gameplay while oozing with charm the entire way.

The Bard uses the power of his voice to solve puzzles and defend himself from harm. The “song wheel” is Wandersong’s main mechanic and allows you to play one of eight different notes in specific sequences to make new friends and discover secrets. If you’re looking for a music or rhythm game with a humorous story and puzzles, Wandersong is a pitch-perfect choice.

9

Tetris Effect: Connected

Tetris Effected: Connected takes the simple concept of the original puzzle game and adds layers of music and hypnotic visuals to the formula to create something that almost feels like a meditative experience. The game features 27 mesmerizing stages, each with a unique song that transports you to different moods and mindsets.

While music isn’t an integral part of the gameplay, it’s hard to imagine playing Tetris Effect without it. The way the music times itself to blocks falling in place is consistently spectacular, and each song feels completely different from anything else on the soundtrack. The single-player Journey Mode in Tetris Effect: Connected is pure joy and worth diving into even if you’ve never played another game in this beloved series.

8

Melatonin

If you’ve ever taken medication to help you sleep, you should be familiar with the fuzzy and peculiar dreams that come as a side effect. The game Melatonin is about a restless individual who has dreams about dating, exercise, work, and more.

Each stage contains a fun rhythm-based mini-game scored by an incredibly catchy lo-fi soundtrack.

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If you’ve been craving another Rhythm Heaven game, look no further than Melatonin. Every dream you enter is playful and requires you to tap a button or flick the control stick with exceptional timing to earn the highest score.

Some are certainly harder than others, but once you lock onto the beat in any stage, it becomes a hypnotic experience that can put you into a dreamlike state of mind as you hit every note with masterful precision.

7

Thumper

“Atmospheric” would be a suitable word to describe this entrancing music game by Drool. The synthetic melodies and dark backdrops juxtaposed with vibrant paths make this one of the most astounding and almost scary rhythm games on Switch.

The lightning-fast speeds and maneuvering make Thumper feel like a vibrant virtual roller coaster – and an exhilarating one at that. The handheld functionality and HD rumble further enhance the experience. Thumper originally launched as a VR title, and it certainly shows with its thick sense of ambiance and danger.

6

Deemo

Yes, it is possible for a music game to offer a narrative that isn’t just competent, but surprisingly rich and heartfelt. Such is the case with the colorful and stylistic Deemo developed by studio Rayark.

As a shadowy, secluded being, you are tasked with playing music on your virtual piano to spur the growth of a sapling into a tree. This will give a lost girl a path back to her home.

Deemo’s controls are intuitive and versatile, offering traditional mechanics and fluid touchscreen options. The dozens of vocal and instrumental songs are a joy to play, as they coast by in the form of pegs like in Guitar Hero.

The game contains a ton of delightful content, and there are various updates that have trickled out since it launched in late 2017.

5

Crypt Of The NecroDancer: Nintendo Switch Edition

Most roguelikes need a unique hook to stand out from the rest, and Crypt of the NecroDancer found its audience with an irresistible mechanic – moving to the beat of a song. With its appealing tunes, psychedelic visuals, and majestic themes, Crypt of the NecroDancer grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go.

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The game offers roughly fifteen hours of adrenaline-pumping content. Besides this, a local co-op mode and randomly generated dungeons extend the experience of this roguelike. There are a ton of collectibles to find and bosses to defeat, and all you have to do is move along to the beat to see it all.

4

Kingdom Hearts: Melody Of Memory

Calling out all Kingdom Hearts fans! If you’re on a quest to play every single KH game ever released, then Melody of Memory might just be what you’ve been missing. This marks the first time the Kingdom Hearts series introduces a rhythm game, complete with the beloved characters and worlds of the Kingdom Hearts universe.

What sets this game apart is its blend of action-packed sequences and a heartwarming narrative, making it appealing to both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Beyond that, the immersive soundtrack, featuring unforgettable melodies, deepens the emotional connection to the story. And believe it or not, they’ve woven in a spinoff story that’s sure to be linked to the next major Kingdom Hearts game—typical KH stuff.

3

Sayonara Wild Hearts

Those wondering what a psychedelic music game might look like when fused with an epic motorcycle chase should look no further than Sayonara Wild Hearts. Published by Annapurna Interactive, the game features an upbeat pop soundtrack that holds up on its own but is somehow made even better with an epic interactive experience.

Sayonara Wild Hearts feels like a virtual trance and techno ride merged as a video game. You will be speeding across darkened roads while shifting about to dodge obstacles and scoop up collectibles.

Aside from the motorcycles, the game also mixes things up with skateboarding, shooting, and even dance battling sections.

2

Cadence Of Hyrule: Crypt Of The NecroDancer Featuring The Legend Of Zelda

Brace Yourself Games’ reworking of Crypt of the NecroDancer works surprisingly well when blended with a Legend of Zelda overlay. Cadence of Hyrule is a hybrid of the developer’s previous title and A Link to the Past, using the strengths of both to create a musical adventure with foot-tapping gameplay.

The result is a joyful experience that feels both familiar and unique with its rewarding rhythmic combat and movement.

Aside from having the rare opportunity to play as Zelda, Cadence of Hyrule’s soundtrack is worth buying the game on its own. The remixes of familiar songs from the Legend of Zelda series are remarkable and provide a great foundation for the journey ahead.

Randomly-generated maps and rotating challenges ensure that you get plenty of replay value out of this gem.

1

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

The Theatrhythm series has been celebrating the music of Final Fantasy since the first game launched on the 3DS and iOS in 2012. The latest entry – Final Bar Line – removes the touch controls of its predecessors and replaces them with engaging button-based mechanics that work better than you might expect.

The best part about Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is its massive library of tracks that represent every mainline entry in the series and most of its spin-offs. With nearly 400 tracks included in the base game, it will take you hours just to beat them all on one of the four difficulty modes.

These songs, plus DLC tracks from other Square Enix games like Live A Live, Nier: Automata, and more make the game so full of content you can easily spend dozens of hours enjoying some of the best music in video games.

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