Rhythm Heaven Groove comes to Switch on July 2

Much of Nintendo’s plans for 2026 remain a mystery (unless you take the insiders and leakers for their part), but we’re awaiting release dates for a few previously announced first-party titles, including Rhythm paradise groovewhich officially arrives on July 2.

Apparently announced first on Nintendo Today! before taking to the company’s various social media channels, the first new entry in the Rhythm Heaven series in over a decade is technically launching on the original Switch, but should also be fully playable on Switch 2. Currently, the game’s Switch 2 compatibility status is listed as “Untested” on its official store page, but it’s hard to imagine there are any issues.

If you’ve never played a Rhythm Heaven game before, the series is a bit like a (slightly) less wacky WarioWare, but all the mini-games are based around rhythm and beat-matching. The challenges are rarely particularly complex in terms of what is asked of you, leaving you free to enjoy the always excellent original pop and electronic music.

Rhythm Heaven is one of Nintendo’s less prolific series, with the upcoming Groove being only the fifth entry in two decades. The series debuted on the Game Boy Advance in 2006 in Japan under the name Tengoku Rhythmwith Rhythm paradise arriving on the DS two years later in the United States. This was followed by Rhythm Sky Fever on the Wii, and the most recent entry was from 2015 Rhythm Paradise Megamix for the 3DS, which was something of a best-of collection.

Rhythm paradise groove is notable not only for being the first Rhythm Heaven game of the Switch generation, but also likely one of the console’s final games, as Nintendo prepares to focus entirely on the Switch 2. Before that, we also get the typical charming (Switch 2 only) on May 21 and Tomodachi Life: living the dreamwhich will launch on both platforms next week, April 16.

Rhythm paradise groove is available for pre-order now for $40.