Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory (Switch)

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a game that’s obviously designed as a love letter to longtime fans of the franchise, but it also bears almost no resemblance at all to the gameplay that made the preceding titles such a hit. As a rhythm game, it’s a perfectly enjoyable and content-rich entry in the genre, but a substantial amount of its meaning and appeal will be lost on rhythm fans who don’t have a background with the previous games. Either way, we think Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is certainly worth your time. It's a fun and engaging rhythm game with potentially hundreds of hours of replayability and a killer setlist of music to back it up.

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Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix (Switch eShop)

Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix is a strong portable version of a truly joyous rhythm game which loses out a little in terms of track numbers in comparison to the likes of series stablemate Future Tone, but makes up for this with a surprisingly solid Switch-exclusive motion control mode alongside touchscreen controls and a new art style that helps keep things running smoothly as you blast your way through its eclectic mix of excellent music. It's a perfect fit for dipping in and out of in handheld and is extremely welcoming to newcomers whilst still providing plenty of tough challenges for veteran rhythm game fans.

Tadpole Treble Encore (Switch eShop)

There’s no denying that Tadpole Treble Encore isn’t for everybody, as it’s a rather short entry in what is traditionally a niche genre. Even so, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by missing out on this adorable experience. Tadpole Treble Encore is a thoroughly well-paced and enjoyable adventure, one which is supported by solid game design and excellent audiovisual presentation. If you missed out on this on the Wii U or find yourself itching for a worthwhile rhythm game for your Switch library, we’d urge you to pick this up as soon as you can. If you’re one of the few who played this on Wii U, we’d still say it’s worth a double dip — just bear in mind that it’s not a massively overhauled experience.

Everhood (Switch eShop)

Everhood is one of the most memorable games we’ve played in recent years. A mad mix of RPG, rhythm action, kart racing and bullet-hell shmup, its utterly bonkers plot and weird cast of characters is reason enough to check it out, but the instantly accessible rhythmic combat will keep you hooked from the very first battle to the epic final boss encounter. Some may be put off by the minimal visual design and deliberately vague sequence of events, but for those after something a bit different, Everhood delivers originality and unique gameplay in spades and absolutely deserves a place in your Switch library.

Klang 2 (Switch eShop)

Klang 2 isn’t perfect and it’s rather short, but it successfully offers up an enjoyable rhythm action experience that genre fans will want to know about. The rhythm action gameplay hits all the right beats. There are only two factors you have to worry about—your left stick and the ‘Y’ button—and you get through levels by pointing the stick at symbols in time with the music and tapping ‘Y’ when necessary. Simple enough, but things are complicated a little more by the fact that all the rhythmic gameplay is being layered over a battle. The result is a satisfying and unique enough take on the rhythm genre — not necessarily a title that we’d recommend to anyone looking to get their feet wet with rhythm games, but fans will likely find enough to love here to make it worth investigating for the relatively low price of admission.

The Artful Escape (Switch eShop)

The Artful Escape is an audiovisual thrill in the general form of a 2D platformer, but the musical theme and its "Hold Y to Shread" moments make it a great addition here. It’s true that the most joyous bits of action are underused – in terms of both playtime and what the developers could give the story – and some scarce but present graphical issues on Switch are a shame. Overall, though, the strengths are major, the niggles minor, and it will strike a chord with any pipe-dreaming rock star.

Tetris Effect: Connected (Switch eShop)

While Tetris Effect: Connected is perhaps more strictly defined as a puzzle game, we'd argue that its unique brand of synesthesia — the intoxicating fusion of the audio-visual with its additive, mesmeric gameplay — makes this the best iteration of the classic puzzler ever thanks to its vital aural components. Also of note is the excellent use of HD rumble which enhances the experience no end. The developers use a range of subtle vibration frequencies rather than the 'teeth-rattling' or 'off' that other third-party devs seem restricted to.

Tetris is good; we all know this. But Tetsuya Mizuguchi unique audio-visual spin on the classic puzzler makes this possibly the finest version of the block-faller ever created. It's an essential experience. Just don't forget those headphones.

Tetris Effect: Connected
Tetris Effect: Connected

Melatonin (Switch eShop)

Despite its lack of standout musical cues and somewhat varying difficulty levels, Melatonin’s suite of challenges is a delight for rhythm game fans and it’s so satisfying to nail that PERFECT. It doesn’t fill the Rhythm Heaven-shaped hole in the Switch’s portfolio, but instead it creates a dreamy new space filled with cotton candy colour, energy, and, most importantly, fun.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (Switch)

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is an utterly addictive, perfectly tuned celebration of all things Final Fantasy. It’s a deceptively simple-looking game that, once you get under the hood, you’ll discover it has teeth and demands practice and patience if you want to unlock everything. It gives back what you put into it, and we’re struggling to put it down even now. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the series’ 35th anniversary, and this makes it a must-buy for Final Fantasy fans and rhythm game enthusiasts. How other storied, sprawling game series’ haven’t followed suit with their own rhythm games is baffling when the results can be this magical.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

Trombone Champ (Switch eShop)

Trombone Champ is a hilarious rhythm game about perfection. Before you (or up to three other tromboners) play, it asks you to select a stance: 'estudious' or 'jubilant'. Neither of these is appropriate when you know your performance will be as ear-abusive as an excited puppy mauling a bulb horn. Or are they? The true lesson is perhaps to hold your head high anyway. In life, as in Trombone Champ, faced as we all are with certain doom, be estudious if you like, be jubilant, parp like crazy, and be your very best you – no matter how imperfect that invariably is.

Think we've missed a beat somewhere up there? Perhaps it wasn't quite our tempo, but share your thoughts in the comments below and we can always add a belter we've overlooked.

This article is one of our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games, the Best Switch RPGs, the Best Switch Games For Kids, the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games. We can also help out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games, the Best Switch Racing Games, the Best Switch Action-RPGs, the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games, the Best Free Switch Games, the Best Remakes And Remasters, the Best Switch Music And Rhythm Games, Best Feel-Good Switch Games, Best Switch Open-World Games, Best Switch Soulslike Games, Best LGBTQ+ Switch Games, and even Games to Play After You've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you covered: Strategy Games, Metroidvanias, Puzzle Games, Party Games, Online Multiplayer Games, Local Wireless Multiplayer Games, Shmups, Twin-Stick Shooters, Visual Novels, Kart Racers, Fighting Games, Football Games, Funny Games, Golf Games, 'Walking Sims' And Narrative Games, Switch Games For Lovers And Lonely Hearts, Detective Games, Hidden Gems, 2D Platformers, 3D Platformers, Puzzle Platformers, Tabletop Mode Games, Run and Gun Games, LEGO Games, Sports Games, Survival Games, Beat 'Em Ups, Camera Games, Chill Games, Family Games, Retro-Inspired Games, Short Games, Card Games and Deck-Builders, and Life Sims And Farming Games.

Still hungry for more? Elsewhere we look at Wholesome Games, TATE Mode Games, Flight Sim and Space Combat, Point and Click Adventure Games, and the Best Switch Exclusives, as well as Every Arcade Archives Game, Every ACA Neo Geo Game, Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch, plus the Best Switch Ports, Best Wii U-To-Switch Ports, Best Switch Collections And Compilations, Best Cheap Switch Games, Best Switch Demos, Games That Are Better On Switch OLED, Switch Games Under $10, $20, $50, and Switch games with the Best Soundtracks and the Best Graphics. Phew!

If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games should help you out, and you can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games, Best GBC Games, Best GBA Games, Best Nintendo DS Games, Best Nintendo 3DS Games, Best NES Games, Best SNES Games, Best N64 Games, Best GameCube Games, and Best Wii Games, and Best Wii U Games, as well as Every Available Nintendo Switch Online Retro Game, and ranked lists of Every Nintendo Switch Online NES, SNES, N64 and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Game.