As the notes come scrolling across and land in the circle next to your character, you have to tap the touchscreen with your stylus. The first is Battle Music Stage, which displays your chosen party on the right hand side with your enemies on the left in classic FF style, with each of your characters being designated their own note tracks. If you’ve never played the prior game, the gameplay in Theatrhythm is divided into three distinct styles. Fortunately, it’s irrelevant to your enjoyment. Yeah, it’s so forgettable I had to consult the manual just to remember it.

It’s up to the heroes of the Final Fantasy universe to collect Rhythmia and set things right yet again. After the distortion that occurred with Rhythm was restored in the first game, things have come full circle and Chaos has gained newfound power. Cosmos and Chaos from the Dissidia titles are at each other again, and between them is a music crystal called Rhythm. Like its predecessor, there isn’t much of a story to be had. After hearing that, how could I not take the plunge? The sequel, dubbed Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, promises the same compelling gameplay, but with more songs, modes, and characters. For the longest time, it was one of the most addictive and frequently played 3DS games I owned. It brought together a superb selection of music from the mainline entries of the Final Fantasy franchise, designed a sort of rhythm RPG hybrid out of it, and tied it all together in a nice cutesy bow. The original Theatrhythm Final Fantasy was one of my top games of 2012.

Theatrhythym curtain call song list