HarmoKnight

Genre: Music-Rhythm / Auto-Runner

Players: 1

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Review:

HarmoKnight, released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, is a family-friendly game that combines elements of the Music-Rhythm and Auto-Runner genres, having players jump and dodge obstacles and fend off enemies in time with the game’s music.

The presentation in HarmoKnight is adorable, featuring cutesy cartoonish characters in a bright, colorful style. Cutscenes use simple 2D images, while the gameplay itself uses simple 3D characters and backgrounds. It’s not impressive, but it’s endearing all the same. The music here is bouncy and has a decent enough beat to it, but isn’t quite as catchy as you might hope for something in a Music-Rhythm game.

The gameplay itself is fairly simple, having players press A or B at the right time. Most of the gameplay takes place in Auto-Runner style gameplay where players automatically run from left to right and must time attacks and jumps based on the placement of enemies and obstacles, naturally in time with the music for that stage. There are also occasionally segments that play out like Simon Says, where you see a string of commands and must replicate them.

Given the family-friendly appeal of this game, the simplicity of the gameplay is perhaps fitting, but it nevertheless still results in a game that doesn’t feel especially deep or compelling, especially for more experienced players. Still, it’s enjoyable enough for what it is, even “what it is” doesn’t seem all that ambitious.

For younger players looking for an accessible game with a musical theme, I’m sure they’ll find HarmoKnight to be delightful. Players looking for something more engaging may find this to be too simple an experience though, and there are multiple better alternatives for such players on the Nintendo 3DS.

tl;dr – HarmoKnight is a family-friendly game that combines Music-Rhythm and Auto-Runner elements, with players timing jumps and attacks on enemies with the beat of each stage’s music. It’s an enjoyable and accessible Music-Rhythm game that younger players may like, but more experienced fans of the genre may find it to be a bit too simple to be engaging.

Grade: B-

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