Okay so maybe I actually do have a tip. In between writing the Moai Doo-Wop article and getting a Perfect in Rhythm Rally 2, I’ve been trying to formulate some kind of plan as how to perfect Rhythm Rally 2, one of the hardest, if not the hardest, songs in Rhythm Heaven. It was my last song to Perfect too. Look all over the internet and it’s stumped many players eager for a perfect medal in this game for years. Some may have perfected it finally. Some are probably getting this game now after play the Wii sequel, Rhythm Heaven Fever. This fast-paced, wrist flicking, beat-anal game has claimed many a victim, but I may have a solution. It’s not perfect by any means, but with some practice you’ll get closer to the end than you’ll normally would, and eventually finish with a Perfect Medal. So hit the jump to see the tips.

Firstly, you’ll want headphones for this song. There are some subtle nuances in the song itself that might actually help you keep the beat that you probably can’t hear through the DS’ speakers. Next, with your stylus, just like I described in Moai Doo-Wop, pinch the stylus between your forefinger and thumb. Make it act as an extension of your finger. Now for the actual playing.

Listen to the taps of the ball as bounces off the paddles and the table. What you should do is bend your wrist back and forth, making it act as a metronome, ticking to each tap of the ball. To start, hover your stylus in the middle of the screen. When the first tap is heard, flick your wrist up (still not touching the screen). When the second tap is heard (when it hits the table), flick your wrist down and press down on the touchscreen in the process. The third tap is you sending the ball back to your partner. Your wrist should now be in the up position. On the fourth tap, bring your wrist back down. And now you just repeat this process for most of the song. On the fast balls, it might be beneficial to stop this, but sometimes just moving your wrist faster might help. On the really fast volley that happens twice in the middle and near the end of the song, I tended to stop the Metronome Method and just focus on sending the ball back.

In the process of doing this, you might find it beneficial to just look at the touchscreen and not the action. Maybe take a look for the two fastest parts, but sometimes it’s better to let the beat guide you.

You’ll probably notice that the ball taps in fours, with each tap being a beat. Your action happens on the third tap,  i.e. the third beat. You’ll also notice, if your were hearing though headphones like I said before, this follows the bass pedal of the song. If you break your perfect streak, don’t quit. Instead just keep going to see what’s ahead and also practice using this method. Also count how many times you miss the ball. If you notice you’re missing less, then you’re getting good. Once you get the hang of things, you can start quitting when you mess up.

The biggest detriment to this method is distraction from outside interference. Headphones work well here to drown it out. Also, don’t think about breathing. I mean, breathe, but don’t think about it while playing since you’ll mess up your flow. Also, as you near the end, if this was the biggest challenge for you, you’ll feel your heart rate go up exponentially as you near the end. This may overtake your beat keeping as now everything in your body wants to follow your heartbeat instead of the game’s beat. When this happens, just take your loss and calm down for a bit. You will lose if your start again right away, so take some time, maybe a minute or two, to calm down and slow your heart rate. As you practice and go further in the song, you’ll become more comfortable and your heart rate will remain steady but still high. If you feel your heart rate increase rapidly near the tail-end of the song (after the second fast volley), focus as much as you can. If you lose, no worries. You got that far without messing up, and that’s a feat not many get to enjoy. Again calm down your heart rate before resuming.

So let’s review:

1. Wear headphones
2. Pinch Stylus between thumb and forefinger, parallel to the forefinger.
3. Bend wrist up and down like a metronome, moving to each tap of the ball.
4. Set down the stylus on touchscreen on the second tap, and flick off on the third.
5. Continue song if not perfect to get the hang of both the song and the Metronome Method. You can quit when you do.
6. If heart rate goes too high, take your loss and calm down. Don’t resume immediately, or else you’ll lose.
7. Repeated full playthroughs with little to 1 miss will make your more comfortable playing this song, resulting in your heart rate remaining steady and not go nuts sooner.

And that’s all I have to say. Good luck getting that Perfect Medal for this game, especially if it’s the last song you have to perfect. When you do, take a nice deep breath and jump for joy. Just don’t stomp the floor hard and hurt your back in the process like my dumb ass did. Also, hearing this song after Perfecting Rhythm Rally 2 is so damn satisfying!