Witch’s Rhythm Puzzle (Nintendo Switch) Review

The question that will pop in the minds of most people will be this: "Is this really a rhythm game?" The answer lies somewhere between 'no' and 'kinda.' In Witch's Rhythm Puzzle a bar in the top of the screen acts as a metronome of sorts. Divided between short and tall bars, you must hit the button whenever the cursor passes over the tall ones, which basically indicates the beat. Simple, right?

Well, it's just so happens that this isn't where the main game is - that would be the left side of the screen, where a cute anime witch sits on her broomstick. You see, whenever you press a button in the right time, a block falls. Create a line ala Tetris, and the witch will throw blocks on the right side, where another cutie does her own thing. Fill up the screen with blocks and a life is lost. Lose three, and its game over. But still, is this really a rhythm game?

This is a mix of two gameplay styles: a rhythm and a puzzle one. These two don't work that well in this example, though. The button must be hit according to the beat, but your mind will be less on the music and rhythm aspect of it all, and instead focus on creating lines of blocks. There's not even a point in looking at the bar on the top.

The whole thing is boring… and then it becomes annoying, with the inclusion of specially coloured bars that indicate a different behaviour when you press a button on them, like for example rather than a single block, these will create a larger, two block wide/high… err, block, or remain on the same line for one more beat before moving left to the next position, and so on.

This further decreases the element of rhythm (what little there is), and near the final stages you've pretty much forgotten all about. Yes, players still hit the button to the beat, but it doesn't really feel like their playing what they initially though they would play. In reality this is Tetris… just a very annoying version of it.

Want to stay for the anime cuties? They are barely worth the trouble, whether they are fully clothed or semi naked. Oh… yeah, the loss of lives strips them of their clothes. Generally, this isn't a - sexy - visual treat. It's a boring title to look at. As for the music, which should be even better, much better than anything else in fact, it is only decent, and will be forgotten the moment a stage reaches its end.