Editing Rhythm game (section)

=== Origins and popularity in Japan (1970s–2000) ===
One early rhythm-based [[electronic game]] was the [[handheld game]] ''[[Simon (game)|Simon]]'',<ref name="edge" /><ref>Ashcraft, p. 55</ref> created in 1978 by [[Ralph Baer]] (who created the [[Magnavox Odyssey]]) and [[Howard J. Morrison|Howard Morrison]]. The game used the "[[call and response]]" mechanic, in which players take turns repeating increasingly complicated sequences of button presses.<ref name="edge"/>

[[Human Entertainment]]'s ''[[Dance Aerobics]]'' was an early rhythm-based video game released in 1987, and allows players to create music by stepping on [[Nintendo]]'s [[Power Pad]] peripheral for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] [[video game console]]. The 1996 title ''[[PaRappa the Rapper]]'' has been credited as the first true rhythm game,<ref name="gamespotparappa">Kasavin, Greg (2006-01-28). [http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6142896/p-2.html "The GameSpot Top 10 Rhythm Games: PaRappa the Rapper"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010160614/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6142896/p-2.html |date=2012-10-10 }}. [[GameSpot]]. Retrieved 2009-04-03.</ref><ref name="ign history 2020">{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/how-rhythm-games-blew-up-and-then-burned-out | title = How Rhythm Games Blew Up (And Then Burned Out) | first = Luke | last = Reilly | date = October 8, 2020 | access-date = October 8, 2020 | work = [[IGN]] | archive-date = October 8, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201008225030/https://www.ign.com/articles/how-rhythm-games-blew-up-and-then-burned-out | url-status = live }}</ref> and as one of the first music-based games in general.<ref>Ashcraft, p. 52</ref> It requires players to press buttons in the order that they appear on the screen,<ref name="gamespotparappa"/> a basic mechanic that formed the core of future rhythm games.<ref name="edge"/> The success of ''PaRappa the Rapper'' sparked the popularity of the music game genre.<ref name="edge"/><ref name="roots">Webster, Andrew (2008). [https://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/03/ne-music-game-feature.ars "Roots of rhythm: a brief history of the music game genre"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401030041/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/03/ne-music-game-feature.ars |date=2012-04-01 }}. [[Ars Technica]]. Retrieved 2011-10-13.</ref> In 1997, [[Konami]] released the DJ-themed rhythm game ''[[Beatmania]]'' in Japanese [[amusement arcade|arcades]]. Its [[video game arcade cabinet|arcade cabinet]] features buttons similar to those of a musical keyboard, and a rubber pad that emulates a vinyl record.<ref name="ashcraft54">Ashcraft, p. 54</ref> ''Beatmania'' was a surprise hit, inspiring Konami's Games and Music Division to change its name to [[Bemani]] in honor of the game,<ref name="ashcraft54"/> and to begin experimenting with other rhythm game concepts.<ref name="ashcraft56">Ashcraft, p. 56</ref> Its successes include ''[[GuitarFreaks]]'', which features a guitar-shaped controller, and 1998's ''[[Pop'n Music]]'', a game similar to ''Beatmania'' in which multiple colorful buttons must be pressed.<ref name="ashcraft56"/><ref>Ashcraft, p. 58</ref> While the ''GuitarFreaks'' franchise continues to receive new [[arcade game|arcade releases]] in Japan, it was never strongly marketed outside of the country.<ref name="edge"/> This allowed [[Red Octane]] and [[Harmonix]] to capitalize on the formula in 2005 with the Western-targeted ''[[Guitar Hero (video game)|Guitar Hero]]''.<ref name="edge"/> In general, few [[Video gaming in Japan|Japanese arcade]] rhythm games were exported abroad because of the cost of producing the peripherals and the resulting increases in retail prices.<ref name="roots"/> The 1999 Bemani title ''[[DrumMania]]'' featured a drum kit controller, and could be linked with ''GuitarFreaks'' for simulated [[jam session]]s. Similarly, this concept was later appropriated by Harmonix for their game ''[[Rock Band]]''.<ref name="edge"/>

[[File:StepMania 5.0.5 Demo.jpg|right|thumb|Screenshot of ''[[StepMania]]'', an open-source game similar to ''[[Dance Dance Revolution]]'']]

''[[Dance Dance Revolution]]'', released in 1998, is a rhythm game in which players dance on pressure-sensitive pads in an order dictated by on-screen instructions.<ref name="ashcraft523">Ashcraft, pp. 52–53</ref> The game was highly successful both in and outside Japan, unlike games such as ''GuitarFreaks'', ''DrumMania'' and ''Beatmania'', though the latter had some success in Europe.<ref>Ashcraft, p. 57</ref> Released the same year, [[Enix]]'s ''[[Bust a Groove]]'' features a similar focus on dancing but employs a more conventional input method. The game contains competitive one-on-one battles, and grants the player more freedom than typical rhythm games.<ref name="edge"/><ref>Gouskos, Carrie (2006-01-28). [http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6142896/p-8.html "The GameSpot Top 10 Rhythm Games: Bust a Groove"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622132425/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6142896/p-8.html |date=2009-06-22 }}. [[GameSpot]]. Retrieved 2009-04-03.</ref>

[[NanaOn-Sha]], the creators of ''PaRappa the Rapper'', released ''[[Vib-Ribbon]]'' in 1999. It eschews instrument-shaped controllers; instead, players maneuver the protagonist through an obstacle course by pressing buttons at correct times. The game's levels are generated by the background music, which players may change by inserting [[Compact Disc|audio CDs]]. While it was praised for its unique style and artistry, ''Vib-Ribbon''{{'}}s simple [[vector graphics]] proved difficult to market, and the game was never released in North America.<ref name="edge"/><ref name="vib10">Calvert, Justin (2006-01-28). [http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6142896/p-6.html "The GameSpot Top 10 Rhythm Games: Vib-Ribbon"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010160123/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6142896/p-6.html |date=2012-10-10 }}. [[GameSpot]]. Retrieved 2009-04-03.</ref> Sega's ''[[Samba de Amigo]]'', released in arcades in 1999 and on the [[Dreamcast]] in 2000, features maraca-shaped, motion-sensitive controllers. The game allows for two-player gameplay, provides a spectacle for onlookers and allows players to socialise while gaming.<ref name="edge"/><ref>Gerstmann, Jeff (2006-01-28). [http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6142896/p-3.html "The GameSpot Top 10 Rhythm Games: Samba de Amigo"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010160809/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/6142896/p-3.html |date=2012-10-10 }}. [[GameSpot]]. Retrieved 2009-04-03.</ref> In 2000, ''[[Taiko no Tatsujin]]'' combined traditional Japanese drums with contemporary pop music, and became highly successful in Japanese arcades.<ref>Ashcraft, pp. 59–60</ref> The game was later released on consoles in the West as ''[[Taiko Drum Master]]'', and the franchise continues to receive new installments in Japan,<ref name="edge"/> as well as console releases around the world. ''[[Gitaroo Man]]'' featured a guitar-playing protagonist four years before the release of ''Guitar Hero'', though the game employed a conventional rather than guitar-shaped controller.<ref name="edge"/>