Since the release of Professor Layton, the adventure-puzzle hybrid genre has been enormously successful on Nintendos touch-based handheld consoles. Now SEGA is taking a similar approach with the rhythm action genre, combining casual exploration and intriguing dialogue with a selection of minigames that require a good ear and a love of the beat.
Rhythm Thief & the Emperors Treasure sees you control dashing young thief Raphael, who is a regular kid by day and a fashionable extra from a Michael Jackson music video by night. His alter-ego is known throughout the animated town of Paris as an honourable thief, if such a term exists. A bit like Robin Hood, Raphael has a knack for stealing famous works of art, only to return them just days later.
There is a reason for this activity, though. Raphaels father is missing, and to solve the mystery he needs to find the Wristlet of Tiamut. Along the way, players will be using the Nintendo 3DS touch screen to input commands at the right time. As you play, multiple versions of Raphael will appear and move to a rhythm - your job is to move with them and keep the beat going.
Sliding and tapping of the touch screen, as well as gyro controls come into play here, as you interact with the gorgeous 3D cartoon world around you. As well as Raphaels solo adventure, you can also get involved in a toe-tapping multiplayer mode and StreetPass functionality.